A teacher from the 19th century has been sent for trial in the County Court on charges of child abuse from the past.
51-year-old Elisa Errichiello was charged with two counts of indecent act with a minor and three counts of sexual penetration of a minor.
The claimed occurrences occurred between May 1997 and May 1999, while Errichiello was a teacher at Catholic Regional College in Melbourne’s north-west, located in Keilor Lodge.
The claimed victim attended the school as a student.
51-year-old Elisa Errichiello (pictured) was charged with child sex offenses that occurred between May 1997 and May 1999.
Wednesday, Magistrate Olivia Trumble concluded there was sufficient evidence to commit Errichiello for trial on five counts of child abuse.
Twenty-one further charges were withdrawn by the prosecution or dismissed by the magistrate.
Errichiello entered a not-guilty plea to all five accusations.
She was released on bail in advance of an upcoming directions hearing.
The court was informed at the committal hearing that Errichiello and the accused victim frequented gay nightclubs and bars in the late 1990s.
A friend of the accused victim stated that she believed Errichiello and the girl had feelings for each other, despite the fact that she never witnessed them being overly intimate.
Greg Wade, the former principal of Catholic Regional College, said on Wednesday that Errichiello was a “quiet achiever” who got along with everyone.
Errichiello pled not guilty to five charges, including two counts of indecent act with a minor under the age of 16 and three counts of sexual penetration of a minor under the age of 16. She was released after posting bail (pictured, Melbourne Magistrates Court)
During the alleged instances, Errichiello taught at Catholic Regional College in Keilor Lodge (shown). Her claimed victim attended the institution.
He was shown a letter sent to Errichiello in November 1999 that mentioned a meeting between Mr. Wade, the accused, and another senior member of the school.
The letter stated the discussion was about Errichiello’s relationship with students, but did not imply she had behaved improperly.
Mr. Wade could not recall the meeting when questioned about it, but he acknowledged that it occurred and that no disciplinary action was taken.
Additionally, he stated that he rehired Errichiello as a temporary staff member at the school in 2004 after she spent time abroad.