Personal Injury

A Detailed Look at the Court Findings, Institutional Failures, and Koffels’ Ongoing Investigations

When Koffels Solicitors & Barristers first issued a Call for Witnesses in 2021 regarding abuse connected with the Parramatta Marist High School Canoe Club, we had no way of knowing how many former students had been affected. In the months and years that followed, scores of Survivors and witnesses came forward — former students from different decades, parents who had long held concerns, and police involved in the 1993 investigation into teacher Graeme Stuart Hawkins.

Together, their accounts revealed a deeply troubling history of misconduct by Hawkins and a pattern of institutional failures that enabled his behaviour to continue unchecked.

Multiple Matters Brought Before the Court

Through these efforts, Koffels ultimately brought multiple civil matters before the Supreme Court of New South Wales on behalf of Survivors abused by Hawkins during canoe club activities overseen by Parramatta Marist High School.

Across the claims, the evidence showed a clear pattern:

• Hawkins routinely used the canoe club environment to isolate and access boys.

• He operated with virtually no scrutiny or supervision.

• The risk to students was foreseeable, persistent and avoidable.

The Court found that Parramatta Marist High School was vicariously liable for Hawkins’ actions. This finding reflects the Court’s recognition that institutions must bear legal responsibility when teachers use their authority to harm children under their care.

The Court also highlighted the role of Principal Mulligan, finding that he provided no meaningful oversight of the canoe club or of Hawkins’ activities. This lack of supervision was a central factor in the institutional failure.

Abuse Investigations Continuing Into Earlier Decades

While the recent Supreme Court decisions centred on abuse in the 1990s, information gathered through our investigations strongly suggests that misconduct in the canoe club may also have occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, and these matters are now under further investigation.

The removal of limitation periods for child abuse matters in New South Wales provides Survivors of institutional child sexual abuse from earlier decades with a greater opportunity to pursue justice and civil compensation, even if they were unable to speak out at the time.

What This Means for Other Institutional Abuse Survivors

These cases demonstrate the importance of Historical Child Sexual Abuse Survivors speaking out:

• Institutions can be held accountable, even decades later.

• Patterns of conduct matter, and the courts are increasingly prepared to recognise them.

• Your experience may form part of a broader history, even if you believed you were alone.

For many of the Survivors involved in these matters, seeing the Court acknowledge the pattern of behaviour and the school’s failures provided long-awaited validation.

Our Commitment

Koffels Solicitors & Barristers acted for the lead Survivor in these proceedings and represented others whose matters were heard alongside it. Our commitment remains unwavering:

to pursue justice, accountability and compensation for all Survivors failed by Parramatta Marist High School and for anyone harmed by historical institutional abuse.

If you experienced abuse connected with the Parramatta Marist High School Canoe Club, or if you were a witness, parent, staff member or investigator with information about Hawkins or the school’s oversight during the 1970s–1990s, please contact us for a free and confidential discussion on +612 9283 5599, or use the call-back request form below.

You are not alone. It is never too late to be heard.