Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

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DazedandConfused
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by DazedandConfused »

Avon wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:51 am
Mid A 15 wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:46 amThe disgusting female Chaplain that ignored that poor girl is even worse.
Is it now established who this is?
Looking at the dates there was only one female chaplain at the time, who has since returned to Australia.
Last edited by DazedandConfused on Sun Jun 16, 2019 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Elvie
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by Elvie »

Mid A 15 wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:46 am
bakunin wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 6:02 am
harryh wrote: Sat Jun 15, 2019 11:05 pm So.my word as a former pupil and a teacher for 27 years at CH following a headship is worth nothing to you?

What is this concrete evidence you are seeking?
See my previous post for examples of possible concrete evidence.

The fact that Dobbie et al got away with so much for so many years, without being noticed by you or so many other teachers suggests that the offenders are often very manipulative and difficult to detect, and that I shouldn't trust your judgment.
When exactly did you develop the power of Extra Sensory Perception and how did you acquire it?

The modus operandi of paedophiles, from what I've read, is manipulation and deceit so by definition very hard for an outsider to detect.

Dobbie was way after my time but what I can say is that the Howard Holdsworth I was at CH with would have done the right thing and intervened to the best of his ability and power had he had a sniff of impropriety at the time.

Sillett, Poulton, Cairncross etc are a whole different ball game and I share the general disgust expressed for their actions, or rather inactions, even when apparently confronted with direct evidence from victims. The disgusting female Chaplain that ignored that poor girl is even worse.

Totally agree. And previous discussion threads attest to what you’ve said; just look at how McCall ended up moving on.

We’ve got to focus on those who caused the harm and those who fostered the environment. Most importantly, we must seek to ensure that no child can be subject to abuse by someone who was moved on from CH for convenience and not reported. To date I believe this gap has not been closed.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by scrub »

jtaylor wrote: Sat Jun 15, 2019 7:43 pmI may be naive, but I think there’s much more general awareness on the part of the kids themselves over what’s right, wrong, normal and inappropriate - along with a much stronger ethos to trust the child by default.
I'm not sure that kids have a noticeably better understanding of right and wrong these days, but I do agree that there is a greater likelihood that their complaints will be listened to. This mindset shift is, IMO, not just with the kids, but more with their parents, who are my generation.

As children we grew up constantly being told "respect your elders, do as you're told, mummy/daddy knows best, etc" and that conditioning combined with the other mantras like "boys will be boys" and "children have the most inventive imaginations" has played a large part in us (collectively) being where we are now. Places like CH amplified that, especially ones that so cherished their traditions, reputation, and appearance, to the extent that upholding and protecting them under the name of "showing the right school spirit", was the finest character trait they could possible see a student display.

Essentially, I think my generation has learnt, at a horrific cost, that unquestioning belief in, and obedience to, our elders can lead to an absolute horrorshow that we absolutely want our children to avoid.

Obviously, my generation isn't perfect and we'll still make mistakes that our kids will want to avoid passing on to theirs, but if we can avoid passing the worst of what happened to us on to our kids, then we've at least affected some kind of positive change.
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TMF
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by TMF »

People provide cover for abuse. Scazza provided a summary of examples here:

https://www.chforum.info/php/viewtopic. ... 15#p143288

If the "sudden departures" continue - the abuse continues.

If the abuse continues - the temptation to provide cover continues.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by sejintenej »

scrub wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 1:32 pm upholding and protecting them under the name of "showing the right school spirit", was the finest character trait they could possible see a student display.
In W H Smith yesterday I saw they had a new book about public schools. From the index CH was mentioned in two areas
a) the foremost in providing scholarships
b) a phrase written by Flecker, Headmaster of CH in a treatise written in 1955 which echoes what you write here but expands school spirit more towards nationalistic spirit (my translation of his words)..

That was the ethos which many of use lived under - some accepted, a few rebelled. Rather like the army it would be close to wicked not to go along with what you seniors (masters) wanted.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by Otter »

Avon wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:51 am
Mid A 15 wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:46 amThe disgusting female Chaplain that ignored that poor girl is even worse.
Is it now established who this is?
She was the only teacher/staff member I straight up hated, of all my 3 schools. You know how you remember having certain teachers you really disliked, you thought you "hated" them, but when you're a bit older you reflect and realise they were OK really, maybe strict or odd, but good teachers and cared about their pupils? All but her, a despicable person who should never be allowed anywhere near a school or church.

Once I had a dental appointment (remember those little green slips?) at 8:30, the same time as morning chapel. I was quite square and didn't want to miss the end of it and get done for "dossing". So I turned up at 8:50 in the gallery. She interrupted her sermon and blew a gasket on me, on the microphone in front of the whole LE to Grecians, about disrespect, how I hadn't been raised properly, how I should be disgusted (she used that word) with myself. I was in shock and could only tamely wave my green slip.

Then later my housemaster said the "chaplain" wanted to speak with me, so I went to see her and it was the same lecture all over again. This time I spoke up about my reason for being late to chapel, but she snapped at me not to interrupt, slamming the door at the end without letting me speak. She then phoned my mum at gone 11pm to tell her what an awful human being I was.

Another time my grandfather had died and I went to Chapel on my own in free time on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. I had even checked that there wasn't anything on in Chapel at that time. This chaplain is there and asks "What the hell are you doing here?" I told her about my grandfather's death and how I just wanted a bit of peaceful reflection. She made no direct comment on this and told me she was busy and I couldn't come into the Chapel.

Her thing with Dobbie's victim is 100% in line with her character. I googled her and found two Australian school magazines. She's mentioned both times in the sections about departing members of staff. Both times there is a paragraph or two honouring each teacher, thanking them and wishing them well. But for her, both times it is a single neutral sentence, saying "She's leaving."
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by Mid A 15 »

Otter wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:32 pm
Avon wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:51 am
Mid A 15 wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:46 amThe disgusting female Chaplain that ignored that poor girl is even worse.
Is it now established who this is?
She was the only teacher/staff member I straight up hated, of all my 3 schools. You know how you remember having certain teachers you really disliked, you thought you "hated" them, but when you're a bit older you reflect and realise they were OK really, maybe strict or odd, but good teachers and cared about their pupils? All but her, a despicable person who should never be allowed anywhere near a school or church.

Once I had a dental appointment (remember those little green slips?) at 8:30, the same time as morning chapel. I was quite square and didn't want to miss the end of it and get done for "dossing". So I turned up at 8:50 in the gallery. She interrupted her sermon and blew a gasket on me, on the microphone in front of the whole LE to Grecians, about disrespect, how I hadn't been raised properly, how I should be disgusted (she used that word) with myself. I was in shock and could only tamely wave my green slip.

Then later my housemaster said the "chaplain" wanted to speak with me, so I went to see her and it was the same lecture all over again. This time I spoke up about my reason for being late to chapel, but she snapped at me not to interrupt, slamming the door at the end without letting me speak. She then phoned my mum at gone 11pm to tell her what an awful human being I was.

Another time my grandfather had died and I went to Chapel on my own in free time on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. I had even checked that there wasn't anything on in Chapel at that time. This chaplain is there and asks "What the hell are you doing here?" I told her about my grandfather's death and how I just wanted a bit of peaceful reflection. She made no direct comment on this and told me she was busy and I couldn't come into the Chapel.

Her thing with Dobbie's victim is 100% in line with her character. I googled her and found two Australian school magazines. She's mentioned both times in the sections about departing members of staff. Both times there is a paragraph or two honouring each teacher, thanking them and wishing them well. But for her, both times it is a single neutral sentence, saying "She's leaving."
At the risk of being branded a pedant I believe the poor girl in question was actually Husband's victim rather than Dobbie's.

That said my posting the reference on a thread about Dobbie has done nothing to aid clarity in fairness.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by richardb »

She was a victim of both.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by Otter »

And a victim of this chaplain.

If, as others have claimed, she gave evidence in person at trial, real shame there was nothing they could arrest her for upon arrival in the country.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by DazedandConfused »

Otter wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:32 pm
Avon wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:51 am
Mid A 15 wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:46 amThe disgusting female Chaplain that ignored that poor girl is even worse.
Is it now established who this is?
She was the only teacher/staff member I straight up hated, of all my 3 schools. You know how you remember having certain teachers you really disliked, you thought you "hated" them, but when you're a bit older you reflect and realise they were OK really, maybe strict or odd, but good teachers and cared about their pupils? All but her, a despicable person who should never be allowed anywhere near a school or church.

Once I had a dental appointment (remember those little green slips?) at 8:30, the same time as morning chapel. I was quite square and didn't want to miss the end of it and get done for "dossing". So I turned up at 8:50 in the gallery. She interrupted her sermon and blew a gasket on me, on the microphone in front of the whole LE to Grecians, about disrespect, how I hadn't been raised properly, how I should be disgusted (she used that word) with myself. I was in shock and could only tamely wave my green slip.

Then later my housemaster said the "chaplain" wanted to speak with me, so I went to see her and it was the same lecture all over again. This time I spoke up about my reason for being late to chapel, but she snapped at me not to interrupt, slamming the door at the end without letting me speak. She then phoned my mum at gone 11pm to tell her what an awful human being I was.

Another time my grandfather had died and I went to Chapel on my own in free time on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. I had even checked that there wasn't anything on in Chapel at that time. This chaplain is there and asks "What the hell are you doing here?" I told her about my grandfather's death and how I just wanted a bit of peaceful reflection. She made no direct comment on this and told me she was busy and I couldn't come into the Chapel.

Her thing with Dobbie's victim is 100% in line with her character. I googled her and found two Australian school magazines. She's mentioned both times in the sections about departing members of staff. Both times there is a paragraph or two honouring each teacher, thanking them and wishing them well. But for her, both times it is a single neutral sentence, saying "She's leaving."
She was our house tutor on my Juniors and unfortunately none of what you say surprises me. She was an utter bitch to all of us, but in a sickeningly sweet, passive aggressive way.

I’m sorry you bore the brunt of her vindictiveness.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by LHA »

Otter wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:32 pm
Avon wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:51 am
Mid A 15 wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2019 9:46 amThe disgusting female Chaplain that ignored that poor girl is even worse.
Is it now established who this is?
She was the only teacher/staff member I straight up hated, of all my 3 schools. You know how you remember having certain teachers you really disliked, you thought you "hated" them, but when you're a bit older you reflect and realise they were OK really, maybe strict or odd, but good teachers and cared about their pupils? All but her, a despicable person who should never be allowed anywhere near a school or church.

Once I had a dental appointment (remember those little green slips?) at 8:30, the same time as morning chapel. I was quite square and didn't want to miss the end of it and get done for "dossing". So I turned up at 8:50 in the gallery. She interrupted her sermon and blew a gasket on me, on the microphone in front of the whole LE to Grecians, about disrespect, how I hadn't been raised properly, how I should be disgusted (she used that word) with myself. I was in shock and could only tamely wave my green slip.

Then later my housemaster said the "chaplain" wanted to speak with me, so I went to see her and it was the same lecture all over again. This time I spoke up about my reason for being late to chapel, but she snapped at me not to interrupt, slamming the door at the end without letting me speak. She then phoned my mum at gone 11pm to tell her what an awful human being I was.

Another time my grandfather had died and I went to Chapel on my own in free time on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. I had even checked that there wasn't anything on in Chapel at that time. This chaplain is there and asks "What the hell are you doing here?" I told her about my grandfather's death and how I just wanted a bit of peaceful reflection. She made no direct comment on this and told me she was busy and I couldn't come into the Chapel.

Her thing with Dobbie's victim is 100% in line with her character. I googled her and found two Australian school magazines. She's mentioned both times in the sections about departing members of staff. Both times there is a paragraph or two honouring each teacher, thanking them and wishing them well. But for her, both times it is a single neutral sentence, saying "She's leaving."
This is Reverend Kate Powell, right?

Picture here to prompt memories.

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/ma ... s/1897308/
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by Otter »

Yes it is.
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by Elvie »

maybe the megaphone has helped her speak up
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Re: Sheila and Peter Higgins - character references for Gary Dobbie

Post by yamaha »

She has written a play about her near-death experience:

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/ne ... -/3715998/

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/healt ... c94b5c8d67

Perhaps the play contains a near-death life-review of her actions at CH.

Has the Toowoomba Chronicle reported on their local connection to the Husband/Dobbie trials?
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