Published: 04 December 2019
Author: RCT Abuse Law team

Will Camberwell Grammar offender Trevor Spurritt go to prison?

Earlier this year, sex offender and ex-Camberwell Grammar teacher Trever Spurritt was found guilty for nine out of the fourteen charges of indecent assault against four past students committed between 1969-1971.

You can read the background to the case in our earlier blog.

As the court process winds on, we give you an update on the case while survivors of his abuse are asking the question: will Spurritt go to prison?

Background

Spurritt taught at Camberwell Grammar School for many years during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Throughout the period he was allegedly abusing students in classrooms and on school camps.

In 2017, Spurritt was charged with 14 counts of historical indecent assault involving seven past students.

Earlier this year, Mr Spurritt was found guilty of 9 of the charges made against him.

Sentencing

On 29 November 2019, Spurritt had a pre-sentence hearing at the County Court. Sentencing was deferred so Spurritt can undergo knee replacement surgery.

He will remain on bail until his sentencing hearing in February 2020.

Spurritt’s defence team contends that, given his age and declining health, the court should consider a suspended jail term, which if imposed, means that he would not serve a period of imprisonment despite the finding of guilt.

Victims both during the pre-sentence hearing and outside of the court spoke about the impact the alleged abuse by Spurritt has caused them, including the effects on their mental health and day-to-day living, as well as their feelings of being re-traumatised throughout Spurritt’s legal process. As we see with many abuse survivors, the impact of childhood abuse can be life long and does not go away. "Justice” is often hard to achieve, whether the perpetrator is convicted or not.

Spurritt’s sentencing hearing is set to take place on 12 February 2020 at the Melbourne County Court.

If you have suffered abuse while you were a student at Camberwell Grammar School, you can contact our office to seek advice.

Further, we also recommend contacting the SANO Taskforce. The SANO Taskforce investigates historic and new allegations of child sexual abuse. The SANO Taskforce can be contacted by email at sanotaskforce@police.vic.gov.au or by telephone on 1800 110 007.

Update: Spurritt was sentenced on 12 February 2020 but successfully appealed his sentence.