The Mater Dei School in New South Wales was supposed to be a safe place for students with disabilities.
But for some children boarding at the school in the 1990s, it was far from secure.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard the case of a 13 year-old female student with intellectual disabilities who was allegedly raped by her male carer.
Her mother spoke at the inquiry's public hearing saying her daughter never talked about the abuse, but the impact was obvious.
"I noticed my daughter was always very tired when I picked her up on Friday afternoons. She would often sleep on car journeys home and she was lethargic for the entire weekend. This was extremely out of character for her as she is usually hyperactive."
The mother found her daughter had suffered injuries consistent with sexual abuse.
"I'd never seen anything like it. There was so much blood. It was overwhelming. I absolutely panicked."
Despite reporting the abuse to the police, community services and Mater Dei, the family was not contacted by the school for years.
Sister Sonia Wagner, from the Sisters of Good Samaritan, told the Commission she was prevented from contacting the victim's family until five years after the alleged attack.
"We were not allowed to offer pastoral care but from the very beginning that was my desire and our predominant motivation was, could we offer pastoral care? And I was told, 'Not until it's been cleared by the police.'"
The girl's alleged abuser is suspected of assaulting two other young victims at the school before leaving Australia in July 1991.
The mother has described having a disabled child as living in "chronic grief".
"It is so easy for people in positions of trust to abuse children under their care because they know a disabled child may not be able to communicate and report their abuse as easily as others can. Matters are not pursued by police are in court because these children are deemed incompetent or less liable due to their disability."
The inquiry heard Mater Dei has since strengthened reporting procedures and improved staff training on dealing with abuse claims.
Counsel assisting the inquiry Gail Furness SC said there was limited research on the problem in Australia.
"International studies demonstrate that children with disability are at significantly increased risk of maltreatments including child sexual abuse. Risk of child sexual abuse in this area has been estimated to be around three times that of the general population."
The public inquiry comes just days after the roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Commission says there is hope this inquiry will prevent further abuse of children with disabilities.
The hearing continues before Justice Jennifer Coate.
