New details have emerged about an interstate trip a former Newington College teacher allegedly took with a student before she was accused of raping him. The teacher has since been barred from entering any school campus.
Deandra Kontou, 32, was arrested last week over allegations that she groomed and sexually assaulted a student in her care while he was under 16.
Kontou taught geography at the all-boys school for two years before leaving in 2019. Following a lengthy police investigation, she was charged with nine sexual offences.
Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail allege the offending occurred over six months in 2019, with most of the alleged incidents taking place during school hours at the college’s Stanmore campus.
Police allege that on May 1, 2019, between 9am and 3pm, Kontou groomed the student and showed him indecent material with the intention of facilitating sexual activity.
According to police documents, she allegedly continued grooming the victim for unlawful sexual activity via a carriage service until September 27, 2019.
Over the same period, Kontou is accused of encouraging the student to perform a sexual act on her without his consent and of urging him to touch her sexually without consent.
She is also alleged to have sexually touched the boy without his consent during those six months.
Deandra Kontou, 32, was arrested over allegations that she raped and groomed a student in her care. She is pictured at a pre-wedding celebration in April 2017.
The former Newington College geography teacher allegedly assaulted a student who was under 16.
Court documents allege that Kontou raped the student during a trip to Fitzroy Island. She is pictured on a separate school trip to the Far North Queensland island in 2018.
She also faces an aggravated charge relating to the same offence, allegedly committed at the Stanmore campus on September 27.
The alleged offending culminated during a November 2019 trip to Fitzroy Island. Kontou is accused of sexually touching the student during the day before raping him that evening.
Police allege that between 10pm and 11pm on November 3, Kontou had sexual intercourse with the boy without his consent, knowing that he was not consenting.
There appears to be no online record of Kontou visiting Fitzroy Island in 2019. However, a post about a Newington school trip to the Far North Queensland island the previous year remains available online.
“The boys of Newington College participated in a whirlwind tour of Far North Queensland that included the Daintree Rainforest Observatory and research station, Fitzroy Island and the outer Great Barrier Reef,” a local educational group wrote.
The post said the students surveyed corals and a rainforest revegetation plot, debated a local environmental issue and attended presentations on sustainability and the Wet Tropics Heritage area. “Good luck in your studies, boys!” it added.
Kontou was granted conditional bail last week and allowed to return to her home in Sydney’s south. She remains employed at Georges River College Senior Campus, a public school.
Despite the serious allegations, Kontou remains on the public payroll and is understood to be performing “alternative duties” under bail conditions that prohibit her from teaching children.
Kontou appears in a staff photograph taken this year at Georges River College Senior Campus.
She remains on the public payroll having been suspended from teaching duties at Georges River College Senior Campus
When asked by the Daily Mail what those alternative duties involved, both the NSW Department of Education and Georges River College Senior Campus failed to comment.
The Daily Mail understands that Kontou, who taught society and culture, history, and geography at the co-ed school, was still in classrooms as recently as last week, with the school forced to remove her once learning of NSW Police’s plan to charge her.
Last night, Georges River College Senior Campus Principal Anna Girginis wrote to parents: ‘As you may be aware, a college staff member was recently charged with child sex offences.’
‘These offences do not relate to the staff member’s work at Georges River College, Oatley Campus, or in the NSW public education system.’
Ms Girginis reassured parents that Kontou is not currently working at the school.
Indeed, under her bail conditions, Kontou is also banned from entering the grounds of any school and from going near any children. She must also report weekly to Sutherland police station and surrender her passport.
She is due to face Burwood Local Court on November 25 where a brief of evidence is expected to be served.
As part of her bail conditions, she must report to police weekly and is banned from entering any school or taking any teaching jobs that require contact with children
It comes days after the acting deputy head of Newington College’s Stanmore campus, Mark Morrison, wrote to parents about the ‘distressing news’ of the allegations facing Kontou.
‘Please know that our thoughts first and foremost are with the [alleged] victim, survivor and their family,’ Mr Morrison said in the letter.
‘I acknowledge that this news may land differently for you depending on your personal circumstances and tenure at the College. We did feel it was important that you heard from the College and if you have any concerns, please contact me.’
Kontou, who went by her maiden name Haralambidis while teaching at Newington, was newly married when she took up the job in late 2017.
Just months earlier, Kontou, who was known by the nickname ‘Miss Dee’, was commended by her personal trainer for maintaining her routine while balancing ‘a busy work life as a school teacher and after-hours tutor’.
When the Daily Mail attempted to reach family members for comment on Tuesday, some denied any relation to Deandra.
A woman who identified herself as the accused’s sister-in-law – the sister of her husband George – said, ‘I would prefer you not to stalk my [Facebook] account. I’ve got no further comment,’ before hanging up.
Responding to questions from the Daily Mail, a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said: ‘These are serious allegations and the department’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of students.
‘The department continues to work closely with NSW Police.’
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