Child abuse claims: Partner defends retired teacher

Ronald Thomas at his house in Bulls. Photo / SNPA / Ross Setford

The partner of a retired teacher at the centre of child abuse allegations at a Tasmanian school in the 1960s has defended him today.

Ronald Thomas, 77, was last month named by the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse investigating allegations of abuse at a Hobart school in the late 1960s.

It was believed he had moved to South Africa when police indicated he would be arrested, and had later died.

However, he was tracked down by The Australian newspaper to Manawatu this week, where he is now retired.

When visited by NZME. News Service at his Tangimoana home, near Bulls today, Mr Thomas was home but did not come to the door.

However, his partner, who was not named, said Mr Thomas had been living in New Zealand since about 1973 or 1974 and teaching "all over New Zealand".

He said Mr Thomas had been asked to give evidence before the commission and that he strenuously denied the claims.

"Of course he says it's not true," Mr Thomas's partner of about six years said.

Mr Thomas was "going under a lot of pressure" and was not keen to comment this morning.

Teachers Council spokeswoman Maryrose Painter said Mr Thomas became a registered teacher in New Zealand when the requirement came into effect in 1990.

He passed a criminal record check at the time and was endorsed by his principal at the time as part of the registration process.

Since then, Mr Thomas had not been subject to any complaints or disciplinary proceedings, Ms Painter said.

The council's screening process was now more robust and included a full police vet in both New Zealand any country the teacher had previously worked which extended beyond a check for convictions, she said.

"If he was applying now, we would know that he taught in Australia and we would have sought a report or police vet from Australian police," she said.

Mr Thomas advised the council in 2002 that he was no longer teaching and his registration had since lapsed, Ms Painter said.

Thomas' Old Friends profile records he was employed at Whangarei Boys High from 1981 to 1990.

During the Australian Royal Commission's inquiry, former Tasmanian police chief Richard McCreadie gave evidence that Mr Thomas confessed to child abuse in 1970.

However, Mr Thomas denied any such confession to The Australian, saying: "I made no statement; no confession statement".

Mr Thomas said he had not gone to South Africa but instead took up a long-planned teaching job in Western Samoa.

Tasmania Police said yesterday the revelations about Mr Thomas's whereabouts were being considered for further investigation in liaison with the Royal Commission.

A New Zealand Police spokesman today said there had been no formal approach from Australian authorities to date but if any request was made there were well-established processes in place to provide assistance.