There were four criminal trials and one civil trial plus a number of appeals. The first one is the focus of this website because of its overwhelming importance. One other was civil trial in which two accusers went for big money "compensation". Judge Botting declared in favour of Bill D'Arcy, denied the applicants' claims, and awarded court costs to D'Arcy. In layman's terms Judge Botting declared Bill D'Arcy innocent.

This judgment went on appeal to the High Court of Australia wherein Judge Botting's judgment was upheld.

We must make the following points:-

1. There is a vast amount of evidence and possible evidence that the great majority of students taught by William D'Arcy never saw nor heard or were aware of any sexual misconduct of any kind. These were all small communities where word of such conduct spreads like the proverbial wildfire.
There is evidence of police "trawling" - i.e ignoring favourable evidence and seeking only evidence which supports a pre-conceived deisre to establish a charge.

2. The main trial received such publicity that it is impossible to see how it could not have influenced later trials.

3. William Theodore D'Arcy held the safest labour seat in Queensland - the Seat of Woodbridge. Unfortunately when desperately fought preselections occur between factions in any political party, protagonists attempt to "dig up dirt" and spread false rumours. Sometimes, as in the Bill Darcy case, these false rumours get out of hand. The question is - who started them, and who continued to nourish them and feed them to the media?

5. The accusations, false rumours and trials held in the context of the Hetty Johnstone campaign against the sexual abuse of children. This cam pign is laudable one the basic ideal of which everyone connected with this website fully supports. There are however many protagonists of this campaign who were and are all too ready to judge an accused person guilty - merely on the basis of a facile accusation. There is no presumption of innocence.

6. Bill D'Arcy, at the time of the accusation , was in bad health with heart problems of a serious nature. This seriously militated against his ability to defend himself.

7. One has to ask the question. Why, after a first trial which sentenced Bill D'Arcy to fifteen years in prison, would the Queensland Government pursue a succession of relatively minor trials when they saw that Bill D'Arcy had been sentenced to arguably the harshest sentence for this kind of crime into he Western world. Could it be to send the D'Arcy's broke with legal fees?

8. We make the point again. Paedophiles regularly re-offend. The latest charge against D'Arcy was 1974!

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