Teacher accused of abusing teen boys while working at Sydney high school

Helga Lam was still a teacher when she was arrested at her home in Sydney's north last year. Photo / NSW Police

A teacher will stand trial over the alleged sexual abuse of three teenage boys at a Sydney high school in the late 1970s.

Helga Lam is accused of assaulting three boys – aged 13, 14 and 15 – between the years of 1977 and 1980.

At the time, all of the boys were students at Maroubra Bay High School, where Lam taught.

The 67-year-old was arrested in September last year and charged with 17 offences relating to the alleged indecent assault of the boys, who would now be aged in their late 50s.

She appeared in Sydney's District Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Lam was working as a teacher at Sydney's Killara High School when she was arrested at her home in Sydney's St Ives in the city's north.

Helga Lam is accused of sexually abusing three teenage boys while teaching at a Sydney high school in the late 1970s. Photo / Facebook

At the time, Detective Superintendent Tim Beattie said police would allege Lam had a number of sexual encounters with the boys over an extended period.

"The allegation we have is, over a period of time over those three years, certainly for those three boys involved, there were a number of sexual assaults [that] occurred," he told reporters.

Strike Force Sportsground was formed by police last year to conduct an "extensive" investigation into the alleged abuse.

"School should be a place of safety for children and what I'll do is urge anyone with any information about child sexual abuse to come and speak to police," Beattie said.

Maroubra Bay High School closed in 1990, 10 years after Lam's alleged offences.

The site was used to film five seasons of soap opera Heartbreak High and was later developed into residential units.

A trial was set for July 17, 2023 and is expected to take two weeks.

SEXUAL HARM - DO YOU NEED HELP?

If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone contact the Safe to Talk confidential crisis helpline on:
• Text 4334 and they will respond
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• Visit https://safetotalk.nz/contact-us/ for an online chat
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been abused, remember it's not your fault.