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	Sex Victim of Catholic Brother "Alienated" The Telegraph July 21, 2011 http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/sex-victim-of-catholic-brother-alienated/story-e6freuyi-1226099990627 A MAN molested by a Catholic brother who was counselling him as a sexual assault victim in the 1980s says he still feels alienated and has vivid memories of the abuse. The victim, now in his 40s, also said he was not sure if he could trust professional help after suffering at the hands of William Stanley Irwin. Earlier this year, a NSW District Court jury found the 55-year-old former Vincentian brother guilty of two counts of gross indecency on a male under the age of 18. The victim told the jury he was 17 when Irwin took him on a road trip from Melbourne and sexually abused him when they stayed overnight at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst. But Irwin denied he ever went there with the youth or took him to The Wall area in Sydney to plant the idea in his head of homosexual contact. When he was 15, the victim was sexually assaulted by another man, who later pleaded guilty and was jailed. He subsequently sought help from "Brother Bill", who he felt seemed to understand him, jurors were told during the trial. In a victim impact statement, read by his father in court today, the complainant said he had problems with overeating and alcohol, found it difficult to trust people and suffered commitment issues. "As a result, both my partner and I have missed out on having a family of our own," he said. It's also impacted on his career, preventing him from achieving his dream of becoming a pilot. "My personal development has been affected and stunted. My self-confidence is low," he said, later adding that he feels alienated and still has "vivid memories of the incident". The complainant's father said he felt regret his son was emotionally incapable of attending court in person. "I understand how troubled he was, just to write this statement," he said. Father Michael Walsh, parish priest of St Vincent's Catholic Church at Ashfield, told the sentencing submissions hearing that Irwin, whom he has known for about 36 years, was a "really good man". "I've always admired Bill," he said. "In our community, he's always been highly regarded, from the younger men to the older men." The jury was told that the victim's parents complained to the then Vincentian Provincial, Father Gerald Scott shortly after their son revealed Irwin's abuse. But jurors were not told of the Provincial's file or that the parents said they did not go to police after they were promised Irwin would not work with youngsters again. He subsequently became a dormitory master at St Stanislaus and a teacher at St Aloysius. Irwin's sister, Kay O'Neil, said Irwin was in charge of a seminary in Fiji where he was based for six years before leaving the religious life to become a teacher. She said he was saddened and embarrassed about his crimes, which had "shocked" their family. After Irwin's arrest in 2009, he was stood down from his teaching job at St Aloysius College at Milsons Point, on Sydney's lower north shore, a day school for boys run by the Jesuits. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Williams asked for a custodial sentence for Irwin, who is on bail. Judge Ronald Solomon will sentence him on September 23.
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