Principal’s ‘difficult’ message to parents after Sydney teacher charged with sex abuse

The Sydney teacher charged with multiple sex offences against a 15-year-old student allegedly breached the trust of the private boys’ college, the school’s principal has said, as he prepares for the allegations to send shockwaves through the community.

Ella Clements, 24, was charged on Monday with three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child between 14 and 16 years old, and intentionally sexually touching a child between 10 and 16, two weeks after she was arrested following allegations she engaged in an “inappropriate relationship” with a student in her care at St Augustine’s College, Brookvale.

St Augustine’s principal Jonathan Byrne said the college’s focus was on ensuring the “privacy and wellbeing” of the student, and warned against harmful speculation as the school comes to grips with the “incredibly distressing” allegations levelled at Clements.

“The judicial process must be allowed to run its natural course, however I believe that the former teacher has betrayed the trust placed in them by the college and families,” Byrne told parents in a letter sent out on Monday evening.

“As a parent I acknowledge an investigation like this will cause anxiety … In a school that prides itself on our core values of Truth, Love and Community, it is profoundly difficult to have to communicate with you today.”

Byrne said the school immediately notified police after becoming aware of the allegations and stood down Clements, whose employment was subsequently terminated.

Police said Clements was taken to hospital for assessment after her September 16 arrest in Brookvale, before being charged at Manly Police Station on Monday.

She faced Manly Local Court on Monday afternoon, where she was initially granted bail by the magistrate on conditions including a $100,000 security, not having any contact with staff or students at the college, not using a smartphone or social media, living at an address in the state’s Northern Rivers with her parents, not leaving home between 9pm and 5am and reporting to police every Sunday.

However, the prosecutor applied for the decision to be stayed – effectively pausing Clements’ release – pending a detention hearing in the Supreme Court, which will take place on Thursday morning.

Police have also taken out an interim apprehended violence order on the boy’s behalf, which states Clements is not permitted at the school.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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