David Henty was a qualified psychologist who worked as a guidance counsellor in Tasmanian schools. In 2005, he was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault in Launceston Criminal Court.
The Court found that Henty assaulted four boys over a 29-year period from 1970-1999 while working in two Launceston schools. The victims, all aged between 11 and 14, were assaulted during ‘treatment sessions’. The presiding judge described the conduct as a “very serious breach of trust over a very long period”.
The offences included:
- 1972: rubbing the groin of a year six boy who suffered from speech difficulties;
- 1993: Placing his hand close to the groin of a year eight student;
- 1994: Placing his hand on a boy’s inner thigh, close to his testicles;
- 1999: Inserting his hand down the pants of a year five boy, between his trousers and his underpants, and touching him in the area of the penis.
Are you a survivor of child abuse in Tasmanian schools? Click here to share your story with us. You may be eligible for compensation.
The Court heard that the Education Department had investigated Henty in the mid-90s and, on two occasions, warned him to stop touching children. However, Henty was not removed from his position, and no further action was taken to protect students.
Kelso Lawyers has written extensively about cover-ups in the Tasmanian Education Department, including the specific cases of Darrel George Harington and Anthony LeClerc and a decades-long culture of shielding known sexual abusers.
Now back living in the community, the Australian newspaper revealed that in recent years Henty had promoted his services as a ‘life coach’ with skills in mental health therapy and hypnosis. Henty argued that this did not breach any laws or restrictions on his ability to practice as a psychologist; however, the Australian noted that the thought of him practising as any form of therapist would likely alarm child abuse survivors.
