One of Sydney’s most prestigious private schools has been embroiled in a child abuse scandal, following the guilty plea of a senior student.
On Monday, 19 August, the 18-year-old Newington College student pleaded guilty in Newtown Local Court to disseminating child abuse material. He left court without conviction, on a conditional release order, which will remain in place until 18 February 2026.
To protect the victim, NSW Police successfully applied for an apprehended violence order.
The 18-year-old was charged after his arrest on 15 August, following reports of a video circulating of another student.
In a letter to the school’s parents and students last Friday, Newington College deputy headmaster Andy Quinane named safety as the school’s priority.
Quinane said the college was working closely with families, staff and police in relation to an incident involving three boys.
“We encourage everyone to allow the college and the police to do their job. Respect for the boys’ privacy and not interfering with police investigations means we cannot share more at this stage. For the welfare of our students, we also ask people not to speculate as much as possible,” the letter stated.
“[Students] have now been briefed by senior college staff and support and welfare structures have been put in place.”
College says it’s working closely with everyone involved
A subsequent letter sent to parents and staff on Wednesday night offered the update that the college has been “working closely with students, families, staff and police to manage the matter with sensitivity”.
“Over the past week, the college has been working to resolve an incident which occurred at the boarding house. The college notified police of the incident, as is a legal requirement for all schools for matters of this nature,” Quinane said.
“All students in the boarding house were briefed and supported from the beginning, as their welfare has been our number one priority, and this will continue to be the case.
“As you would appreciate this is an extremely delicate matter, given the students involved, which also attracts privacy law restrictions. So, we are being very careful about what we say and how we say it.”
The news follows the Stanmore school’s recent troubles after a public fallout over a controversial decision to admit girls to the school that has operated as all-boys for more than 100 years.
A spokesperson for Newington College said the school was continuing to work with the students and their families before determining the next steps.
