A parliamentary inquiry has found a private religious school accused of sexual, physical, psychological, spiritual and financial abuse and recommended it be denied enrollment for new students.
Former students and teachers from western Sydney’s Redeemer Baptist school testified before the NSW parliamentary inquiry about a series of disturbing allegations.
The allegations claim that students were forced to share beds with teachers and that the school principal once wandered naked through a common area.
The committee tabled a report in the state parliament on Tuesday that found the school, which is operated by the Redeemer Baptist Church, failed to meet basic child safeguarding standards.
The investigators concluded that sexual assault allegations were not addressed appropriately, exposing children to serious risk of harm.
Additionally, the inquiry found that staff at the school lacked fundamental workplace rights and did not meet basic good governance standards.
The committee recommended that the school be prohibited from enrolling new students while the investigation proceeds under the NSW education standards authority.
It also advised that the allegations be investigated by the NSW police and the office of the children’s guardian.
Committee chair and Greens MP Abigail Boyd highlighted that the school had been examined by parliament in 2006, yet no safeguards had been established to monitor what she described as a high‑risk environment.
Boyd stated that the committee’s findings were grounded in the courage of those who came forward with evidence.
The school secures approximately $6 million annually in government funding and possesses sufficient resources to pursue legal actions against critics of the religious group.
She noted that the institution maintains significant political connections with both state and federal politicians.
Those who previously left the school described themselves as extremely frightened of the institution’s leadership.
“Understanding that departing would mean losing financial assets and that survival often required remaining with the abuser,” she added in Parliament.
The committee criticized a lack of regulatory oversight, including from the education authority, and urged further investigation into several alarming concerns.
The allegations also comprised ongoing Centrelink fraud and questionable tax practices.
The report warned that an asset‑rich, seemingly prosperous school that withholds wages from its staff, many of whom claim benefits, while receiving substantial public funding, raises severe concern.
A spokesperson for Redeemer Baptist School previously asserted full cooperation with the applicable regulators.
“Redeemer Baptist School takes child safety obligations extremely seriously and has a flawless compliance record with state and federal regulators for 45 years,” the school stated.
The school did not provide an immediate comment response following the report’s release.
Support for anyone affected by the subject matter of this report is available at Full Stop Australia (1800 385 578). Children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380.
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