source : the age
Three students from Sydney’s prestigious Scots College have been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in an eastern suburbs alley way.
A 13-year-old boy and two 14-year-old boys were arrested on Thursday over the alleged July 22 attack.
The 13-year-old and one of the 14-year-olds was charged with aggravated sexual assault in the company of others, and two counts of aggravated sexual touching of another person. The other 14-year-old was charged with a single count each of the same offences.
The boys, who cannot legally be identified, were granted conditional police bail and will appear in a children’s court on August 25.
Police seized several electronic devices during search warrants executed around 7.30am on Thursday. The devices will be forensically examined for digital evidence related to the alleged assault.
Detectives also seized two replica firearms, a “Glock style” BB gun, three laser pointers and a number plate, which is believed to have been stolen.
Scots College is Sydney’s most expensive private educator, charging year 12 fees exceeding $50,000 per year.
The alleged attack is the latest in a string of scandals embroiling Sydney private schools in which students have been the subject of sexual assault allegations from female peers at nearby girls’ schools.
A 2021 petition launched by sexual consent activist Chanel Contos attracted hundreds of testimonies alleging that boys at several Sydney private schools, including Scots, had been perpetrators of sexual assault.
Students at Cranbrook, Sydney Grammar School, Saint Ignatius Riverview, St Joseph’s College, Waverley College and Shore School were also accused of sexual assault.
In 2014, three year 8 Cranbrook students left the school after an incident involving a 14-year-old girl.
Scots College has been contacted for comment.
More to come
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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Emily Kowal is a Walkley award-winning education reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
