Craig Steven Davis

 

Paedophile teacher continued working

ANDREW DOWDELL – The Advertiser – 03/12/2009 – Page 19

 

PAEDOPHILE primary school teacher Craig Steven Davis sexually abused a pupil after having been allowed

to continue working, despite two written warnings for “inappropriate” contact with girls, court documents claim.

Davis, 45, was jailed for 10 years in 2003 after admitting he sexually abused an eight-year-old girl while he

was a teacher at the church-run Prescott Primary School at Morphett Vale in the 1990s.

The victim, now in her early 20s, is suing Seventh Day Adventist Schools South Australia Ltd, the Seventh-Day

Adventist Church’s SA Conference and Australasian Conference Association Ltd, claiming school authorities were

negligent in allowing Davis to continue teaching.

It is alleged that months before the abuse to which Davis pleaded guilty, he was issued with written warnings by the school

principal, after she observed him acting in “an overly physical manner” with female students.

The statement of claim says the principal took no further action against Davis after the written warnings, which the victim

said breached the school’s duty of care.

“(The school) had a heightened duty of care to (the victim) as, at the time of the assaults, the defendant had prior knowledge of inappropriate conduct of Davis towards young female students in his care,” the documents said.

“Given the previous incidents, there was a foreseeable risk that Davis would continue to behave inappropriately towards

female students.”

While Davis is eligible for parole next October, his victim continues to suffer from his abuse and has been diagnosed with

complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

Documents claim the assaults transformed a “happy and outgoing child” into agirl plagued by extreme distress at small

events, who became fearful of men and reliant on her mother.

The victim now continues to struggle with relationships and “is particularly anxious about men in positions of authority”,

the documents said.

The church has been given until February to file its statement of defence, ahead of a status conference in March.

 

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