Roberto Messina: WA school claims ‘no complaints’ made about teacher accused of child exploitation

The overarching body of an elite Perth school where accused child sex creep Roberto Messina taught for almost 15 years says no complaints were made during his tenure and that he ticked all required employment boxes. Police swooped on Mr Messina last Thursday on the grounds of John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School with allegations he tried to procure a child for sexual activity, possessing child exploitation material, and distributing child exploitation material. Mt Claremont-based Anglican Schools Commission, which oversees a group of 15 schools, said Mr Messina had started his employment on January 1, 2008, and on all occasions complied with school policies. He also provided verification of approved Working With Children Checks in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2022. “Mr Messina received annual professional learning on the mandatory reporting of child sex abuse and school policies while at the School,” chief operating officer Ivan McLean said. “At the commencement of his employment at the School, Mr Messina completed a staff induction which covered the child safe code of conduct, staff obligations to report objectively observable behaviours, School policies and procedures, mandatory reporting obligations, and staff code of conduct.” Mr McLean claimed Mr Messina presented the relevant registration paperwork and associated criminal checks. The commission is assisting police with their enquiries further but Mr McLean said the school had only found out about the allegations the day of his arrest. “The safety of our students remains our utmost priority and the Anglican Schools Commission and the School are cooperating with all police enquiries,” he said. Shadow Child Protection Minister Merome Beard called for a review to identify any gaps in the system. “The allegations against this teacher are obviously distressing and raise a number of questions around the checks that are in place,” Ms Beard said. “The safety of our children should be paramount, and there is a clear need for a review of the current system to identify whether there are any gaps that could be improved.” WA Premier Roger Cook had also expressed concern over the allegations. Mr Messina was abruptly suspended from Guildford Grammar School in the early 2000s, where he was understood to have worked as a maths teacher. “As a parent, the allegations are concerning,” Mr Cook said. There is no suggestion that Mr Messina’s suspension from Guildford Grammar School was in any way related to matters such as those which he is currently charged.