survivor of child sexual abuse reveals identity in hopes it will give strength to others

For decades, Nicholas Taylor lived with the impact of child sexual abuse.

Last year, he told the Supreme Court in Hobart about the abuse he experienced while he was a student at St Virgil's College in Hobart in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

"For me it was so I could take a little more power back from my abuse," he said.

"It'd been a long time to get to trial — 38 years.

Mr Taylor sued the Christian Brothers, the Catholic organisation that ran St Virgil's at the time, telling the court he was sexually abused by school sports coach Stephen Randell and priest Phillip Green while he was a student there.

He also told the court he was abused by other teachers at the school, and his lawyers argued the Christian Brothers were vicariously liable for the abuse.

Partway through the trial, the Christian Brothers offered a settlement, which Mr Taylor accepted, ending the trial.

"I'm still working through it, trying to get back on track," Mr Taylor, who has not revealed his identity until now, said.

"I'm glad I did go to trial at the end of the day … [I'm] just working through the after-effects of that and just trying to have a normal type life."

He said he hoped he would be able to offer some support and encouragement to other victim-survivors.

"I know it's very difficult as a victim to come out and make statements or make confirmations of things that have happened, from grooming to the full effect of abuse.

Randell was jailed in 1999 after being found guilty of 15 counts of indecent assault.

The Supreme Court in Hobart heard Randell indecently assaulted nine girls aged about 11 years, in the early 1980s, when he was employed as a teacher.

Mr Taylor said he made a statement to police in the late 1990s alleging he was abused by Randell, but the case did not proceed.

Randell was released on parole in May 2002.

It is understood Randell returned to umpiring in Tasmania at lower levels after his release, but safeguarding measures introduced subsequently by Cricket Tasmania mean he can no longer umpire.

Mr Taylor said sporting organisations should always be looking at ways to protect children.

Green, who died in 2014, pleaded guilty in 2004 to indecently assaulting a former altar boy and received a three-month suspended prison sentence.

Prospective claimants for planned class action

Mr Taylor's case also included allegations of serious physical abuse.

While running the case, his solicitors spoke with other former students who also made allegations of physical abuse.

It has prompted a planned class action against the Christian Brothers.

Angela Sdrinis Legal, the law firm running the class action, has been contacted by more than 40 prospective claimants.

Director Angela Sdrinis said the action was still in the investigation stage, and she hoped it would be filed with the court in the coming months.

Ms Sdrinis said not all of the prospective claimants may end up in the class action — their allegations must meet the definition of "serious" physical abuse under Tasmanian law, and for those who had also made allegations of sexual abuse, their cases may be dealt with individually.

No 'right way' to seek justice

Northern Tasmanian sexual assault support service Laurel House works with victim-survivors and offers specialised counselling.

Chief executive Kathryn Fordyce said justice can look different for every victim-survivor.

"Some people want the criminal conviction, some people want a particular civil outcome, some people want compensation, other people just want acknowledgement from family members that what they experienced is having a profound impact on their life," Ms Fordyce said.

"Some people might want an apology from the perpetrator, or where it's institutional child sexual abuse, they may want the direct apology or the direct response from the organisation that was responsible.

Ms Fordyce said court processes — whether criminal or civil — could be overwhelming and re-traumatising for victim-survivors.

"Having that therapeutic support, the counselling, advocacy support, during any kind of proceedings, especially those civil proceedings, is just a really critical part of … smoothing the complexity and the trauma of what can lay ahead," she said.

Mr Taylor said that, for him, going to court was an important step.

"My life's been very erratic at times, very confused, and I'm sure if it [the abuse] didn't happen to me, maybe I would have better options at life or careers or whatever.

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