Tuesday, 14 October, 2025
Former pastor jailed for historic sex abuses
Outer East sees drastic rough sleeping increase
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A Star News Group Publication
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Wise Ones celebrate By Tanya Steele
Starting in 2024 with no funding, the group are excited to plan even more meaningful activities and fun outings for their Wise Ones over the next year. (Stewart Chambers)
As Mental Health Month in Australia continues, Selby Community House and it’s over-60s social group, ‘Wise Ones’, have welcomed the news of a community grant from Australia Post. Selby House Manager Danielle Steele said their house applied for the grant to give to be able to give their group ‘a little something more’ and to continue to address loneliness and isolation among older adults in the Selby area, the group began small then slowly grew. Danielle said Wise Ones has become a beautiful group, with noticeable changes and connections forged. “There are some really lovely friendships that have developed, people bake things and bring things along to share,” she said. Read more on page 9
Family’s battle Bloodied, bruised and virtually unrecognisable. This is what a Seville East family’s 18-year-old son looked like when he came home from a Dandenong Ranges school. The now 19-year-old, Lachlan, who is non-verbal and has an autism diagnosis, was described by his father as looking “like he’d just come out of a boxing match with Mike Tyson” after an incident at school left him injured. His parents said the school failed to notify them of their son’s escalating behaviour, and they
were never provided with an up-to-date behaviour support plan, despite clear warning signs. “It was just so heart-breaking,” Lachlan’s father, Daryl, said. According to Daryl, the school never called an ambulance, and the family wasn’t informed of the incident until after Lachlan came home visibly injured. “We weren’t even told and you’ve got to understand, this is a kid who can’t tell us what happened,” he said. “He can’t say, ‘This person did this’ or ‘This is
why I was upset.’ We rely entirely on the people around him to be transparent, and we got nothing.” When asked for a behaviour support plan, Daryl claimed the school sent through one that was two years old which failed to outline how the school planned to prevent such behaviours. The family is now pursuing legal action through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), arguing their son’s treatment was not only unacceptable but part of a broader systemic failure.
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The Department of Education issued the following statement: “The safety and wellbeing of all our students is the highest priority in Victorian schools.” “As this matter is now before VCAT, it is inappropriate for the Department to comment further.” The emotional toll on the family has been immense. When asked what outcome he hopes for from the legal process, Daryl had one word: “Accountability.” Read more on page 4
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