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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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He denied the
allegation and no further action was taken, the school's principal told the
jury at Edgar's trial, which started yesterday. Edgar, now 38, denied
seven counts of indecent assault against boys aged under 12 and one of
performing an indecent act on a boy aged under 12. Judge Lynton Laing suppressed the school's name to protect the
identities of alleged victims due to give evidence at the trial. Edgar's supporters took
up most of the public gallery's front row. The first prosecution
witness, the principal, explained that a parent had complained that Edgar had
looked at her son's penis while he was getting changed after falling over and
getting dirty. The principal said he had spoken to Edgar when the allegation
was made in 1991. Edgar denied the allegation and said he was only helping
the boy change clothes. The principal said he
told Edgar it was inappropriate for him to be alone with a child who was
getting changed. Earlier, Crown
prosecutor David Wilson, QC, detailed an allegation made last November that
Edgar had bribed a child with lollies to get changed into a pair of togs. Mr Wilson said the
principal was given the information by his deputy and police were called. It was alleged that
Edgar had touched the boy and told him that if he told other children he
would "run out of lollies". Mr Wilson said the boy
told a friend about the incident and they approached the deputy headmaster. Edgar was suspended on
full pay that afternoon and later resigned. Edgar's counsel Roger Laybourn, in his opening statement to the jury, said the
defence would say the allegations were untrue. He told the jury of
nine women and three men that Edgar was a popular teacher who had never done
anything to suggest the alleged offences were occurring. He said the evidence
from witnesses was emotionally charged. The case is proceeding.
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