'Devastating': Australian idol winner's school's principal breaks his silence after singer claims she was molested by her music teacher
- Natalie Gauci, 38, has lodged civil claims against her former music teacher
- She said he touched her inappropriately before assaulting her at his home
- The principal of her school praised her for coming forward and called for healing
- Her teacher later went on to be convicted for groping 16 other schoolgirls
The principal of a school where an Australian Idol winner claims to have been molested by her music teacher said he is devastated at the idea that a student was harmed in their care.
Natalie Gauci, 38, lodged civil claims against Sigmund Leon Sokolowski for molesting her from the age of 13 between 1994 to 1997.
She also lodged a civil suit against the Catholic Archdiocese, which ran the co-ed Emmaus College school, in Melbourne's south-east.
Gauci said the now-convicted sex offender regularly put his hand up her skirt before kissing her and assaulting her at his home, leaving her with deep psychological damage.
The principal of a school where Australian Idol winner Natalie Gauci claims she was molested has broken his silence and said he was horrified by the idea a student was attacked. Pictured on The Voice
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On Monday, principal Tony Hirst sent a letter to parents where he praised Gauci for coming forward and called for truth to prevail.
'It is devastating to think that students at our school may have been harmed during their time here, irrespective of how long ago,' he said.
Natalie Gauci, 38, lodged civil claims against her former teacher, Sigmund Leon Sokolowski, for molesting her from the age of 13 between 1994 to 1997. Pictured at age 14
'Teachers are held in a position of trust in our community, and have a duty of care to their students; any breach of this trust and care is unacceptable and will never be tolerated at our college.
'We should acknowledge the tremendous courage that it has taken for our former student to come forward,' he said.
Gauci, who won the 2007 Australian Idol talent competition and is now a contestant on The Voice, told The Age she reported the alleged abuse to her mother at the time, who then took the matter to police.
While the matter did go to court, Sokolowski was not convicted and Gauci went on to struggle with the issue for years as she battled eating disorders and drug addiction.
'He basically built my trust and groomed me into trusting him … It got to that point where he'd built so much trust in me and my family and my parents, that I just let him do it,' she said.
'The thing I've realised now ... that was my first introduction to love. And that's the thing that stays with me now, while I still continue to heal.'
In a letter to parents the principal praised Gauci her for coming forward and called for healing
The singer said on social media she had struggled for years to come forward and finally built up the courage after the birth of her now seven-month-old son Jedidiah.
'One thing I have learnt is that we must be ready,' she said.
'For so many years I thought I was ready.. and I've even written 3 songs titled "I'm ready" but it's not until giving birth and having a baby, experience the innocence again. That's when I really felt ready.'
Gauci said she hoped by coming forward she could inspire others to do the same.
In a statement, Mr Hirst said he was aware of the civil suits and encouraged anyone who experienced abuse to report the claims to police.
'Our priority is, first and foremost, to support and protect our students and the school community,' he said.
'The college regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance and is committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and maintain a child safe culture.'
Gauci won the 2007 Australian Idol talent competition and is now a contestant on The Voice
Gauci's mother reported the alleged abuse to police and the matter when to a criminal trial but the music teacher was not convicted
In the years following, the music teacher pleaded guilty to groping 16 schoolgirls.
In 2008, he admitted indecently assaulting ten teenage girls from two schools in Melbourne between 2003 and 2005.
Assaults included squeezing their breasts while claiming he was checking their breathing or posture.
He was banned from teaching, placed on the sex offender list for life and sentenced to a community corrections order and community service.
Sokolowski then pleaded guilty in 2014 to groping six more students at Melbourne's Wesley College between 1987 and 2006 during private classes.
The singer said on social media she had struggled for years to come forward and finally built up the courage after the birth of her now seven-month-old son Jedidiah
One Year 10 girl was groped in his car during a live performance, and another was assaulted during a matinee performance and during private music lessons at his home.
He received a two-year suspended sentence and is now believed to be living in Poland.
Her lawyer John Rule claimed the school failed to handle complaints about Sokolowski properly.
'Like in so many of these cases, if the kids had been listened to at the time so much pain could have been prevented,' he said.
A spokeswoman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne told The Sydney Morning Herald it is aware of Ms Gauci's allegations.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Emmaus College for comment.
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