Help David Sue Brisbane Grammar School
Donation protected
My name is David Welsh and I was sexually abused by the notorious paedophile Kevin Lynch while I attended Brisbane Grammar School.
From 1973 to 1987 Kevin Lynch was employed by Brisbane Grammar School where he abused hundreds of pupils. He left Brisbane Grammar School and went on to sexually abuse children at St Paul’s Anglican School until he committed suicide when unmasked by the Police.
A great deal of the devastation that he caused would have been avoided had Brisbane Grammar School’s’ Headmaster Max Howell acted when he was informed of Lynch’s activities by a parent in 1981. He chose to do nothing. This self-serving and very deliberate negligence led to the destruction of hundreds of lives!
I am currently pursuing Brisbane Grammar School for the damage that they have done to my life. I have been diagnosed with chronic depression, a generalised anxiety disorder, PTSD and an alcohol abuse disorder leaving me incapable of work.
In my case the damage involved includes very considerable financial loss. At the turn of the century, I had a very successful career in Investment Banking in London. I was forced to give that up because of my psychiatric conditions and my life has spiralled ever downward from there. I am unmarried, unable to work, childless, living with my parents and surviving on a disability pension.
Like 130 Grammar victims before me I have been to mediation with The School. Brisbane Grammar School seems proud of the fact that they have settled 130 claims at mediation, but I don’t believe this is anything to be proud of. Victims attend mediation having disclosed their financial position and their psychiatric impairments. This creates a situation where The School could exploit these weaknesses in framing their offer.
Not one of these 130 settled claims has seen the inside of a courtroom. Not once has a victim of Brisbane Grammar School’s gross negligence received a Judge’s ruling on their damages. Equally, the community knows nothing of these backroom deals as the victims are gagged by confidentiality orders.
I have been to mediation and I was not satisfied with the offer that was made. Given my previous earning potential I found it derisory and insulting. I want the opportunity to have my damage assessed by the Justice System not by the perpetrator of the crime.
I am appealing for donations to fund my case against Brisbane Grammar School and would really appreciate any help that you can offer.
Follow my story: https://www.facebook.com/Help-David-Welsh-101429255497635
***
The legal regime governing personal injury claims, involves the parties first trying to negotiate a settlement, before commencing court proceedings. An aggrieved party is often legally represented on a “no win no fee” basis. The parties attend a compulsory settlement conference and exchange mandatory offers (normally for the payment of money). Normally that offer triggers the “win” component of “no win no fee” which in turn triggers the “fee” component.
It might not be the best offer, or even a good offer, but because an “offer” triggers the “fees”, a party has limited commercial choice but to accept the offer, so at least there are some funds for paying lawyers.
A lot of people can’t afford to be legally represented, except on a “no win no fee” basis. Even fewer people can afford to commence proceedings and run an action to trial.
A well-resourced and experienced party accused of systematic and large scale abuse can take advantage of this regime, by “paying off” victims – not in an amount that represents what the victim should get, but instead in an amount that triggers the “win” and therefore the “fees”. On small individual cases, “no win no fee” gets people some justice they could otherwise not afford. But on large systemic abuse cases, against well-resourced opponents, “no win no fee” risks doing very little to correct the power imbalance between the abuser and the victim.
In 2016 the Federal Government conducted a Royal Commission, set up in response to allegation of sexual abuse of children in institutional context that had been emerging in Australia for many years. Nine days of the Royal Commission, were devoted to investigating the conduct of Kevin Lynch as an employee of first Brisbane Grammar School and then St Pauls Anglican School. The findings were brutal, and shocked most normal Australians. The Royal Commission costs tax payers more than $300 million.
The findings of the Royal Commission are not admissible in court proceedings. Victims need to start again - by examining the witnesses and reproducing the evidence, from scratch using their own funds. On a conservative estimate, reproducing the relevant evidence from the Royal Commission, cannot be done for less than $750,000.00 – meaning that at least one million dollars is needed for a victim to have a real chance of suing successfully.
Money, information, and witnesses are needed for people to reject systemic wrongs. Any legal costs received from one proceeding will go toward the next. Information and witnesses are needed please, and will be treated confidentially.
All publicly donated money will be held in trust by JML ROSE, for the purpose of being paid towards the litigation for which it was donated.
JML ROSE
From 1973 to 1987 Kevin Lynch was employed by Brisbane Grammar School where he abused hundreds of pupils. He left Brisbane Grammar School and went on to sexually abuse children at St Paul’s Anglican School until he committed suicide when unmasked by the Police.
A great deal of the devastation that he caused would have been avoided had Brisbane Grammar School’s’ Headmaster Max Howell acted when he was informed of Lynch’s activities by a parent in 1981. He chose to do nothing. This self-serving and very deliberate negligence led to the destruction of hundreds of lives!
I am currently pursuing Brisbane Grammar School for the damage that they have done to my life. I have been diagnosed with chronic depression, a generalised anxiety disorder, PTSD and an alcohol abuse disorder leaving me incapable of work.
In my case the damage involved includes very considerable financial loss. At the turn of the century, I had a very successful career in Investment Banking in London. I was forced to give that up because of my psychiatric conditions and my life has spiralled ever downward from there. I am unmarried, unable to work, childless, living with my parents and surviving on a disability pension.
Like 130 Grammar victims before me I have been to mediation with The School. Brisbane Grammar School seems proud of the fact that they have settled 130 claims at mediation, but I don’t believe this is anything to be proud of. Victims attend mediation having disclosed their financial position and their psychiatric impairments. This creates a situation where The School could exploit these weaknesses in framing their offer.
Not one of these 130 settled claims has seen the inside of a courtroom. Not once has a victim of Brisbane Grammar School’s gross negligence received a Judge’s ruling on their damages. Equally, the community knows nothing of these backroom deals as the victims are gagged by confidentiality orders.
I have been to mediation and I was not satisfied with the offer that was made. Given my previous earning potential I found it derisory and insulting. I want the opportunity to have my damage assessed by the Justice System not by the perpetrator of the crime.
I am appealing for donations to fund my case against Brisbane Grammar School and would really appreciate any help that you can offer.
Follow my story: https://www.facebook.com/Help-David-Welsh-101429255497635
***
The legal regime governing personal injury claims, involves the parties first trying to negotiate a settlement, before commencing court proceedings. An aggrieved party is often legally represented on a “no win no fee” basis. The parties attend a compulsory settlement conference and exchange mandatory offers (normally for the payment of money). Normally that offer triggers the “win” component of “no win no fee” which in turn triggers the “fee” component.
It might not be the best offer, or even a good offer, but because an “offer” triggers the “fees”, a party has limited commercial choice but to accept the offer, so at least there are some funds for paying lawyers.
A lot of people can’t afford to be legally represented, except on a “no win no fee” basis. Even fewer people can afford to commence proceedings and run an action to trial.
A well-resourced and experienced party accused of systematic and large scale abuse can take advantage of this regime, by “paying off” victims – not in an amount that represents what the victim should get, but instead in an amount that triggers the “win” and therefore the “fees”. On small individual cases, “no win no fee” gets people some justice they could otherwise not afford. But on large systemic abuse cases, against well-resourced opponents, “no win no fee” risks doing very little to correct the power imbalance between the abuser and the victim.
In 2016 the Federal Government conducted a Royal Commission, set up in response to allegation of sexual abuse of children in institutional context that had been emerging in Australia for many years. Nine days of the Royal Commission, were devoted to investigating the conduct of Kevin Lynch as an employee of first Brisbane Grammar School and then St Pauls Anglican School. The findings were brutal, and shocked most normal Australians. The Royal Commission costs tax payers more than $300 million.
The findings of the Royal Commission are not admissible in court proceedings. Victims need to start again - by examining the witnesses and reproducing the evidence, from scratch using their own funds. On a conservative estimate, reproducing the relevant evidence from the Royal Commission, cannot be done for less than $750,000.00 – meaning that at least one million dollars is needed for a victim to have a real chance of suing successfully.
Money, information, and witnesses are needed for people to reject systemic wrongs. Any legal costs received from one proceeding will go toward the next. Information and witnesses are needed please, and will be treated confidentially.
All publicly donated money will be held in trust by JML ROSE, for the purpose of being paid towards the litigation for which it was donated.
JML ROSE
Organizer and beneficiary
David Welsh
Organizer
Cannon Hill, QLD
James Lavercombe
Beneficiary