By Norrie Ross
Herald Sun
August 8, 2011
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/paedophile-rapist-christian-brother-jailed-for-14-years/story-fn7x8me2-1226110831374
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| Stephen Woods outside St Marys Cathedral, Sydney in 2008. Picture: Jess Husband HWT Image Library |
THE VICTIMS of deviant Christian Brother Robert Best have called for a public inquiry into sex abuse within the Catholic Church after he was jailed for 11 years and three months today.
Best left a trail of young victims at three schools and police estimate the shocking abuse by him and other Christian Brothers at a Ballarat primary led to 26 suicides.
Outside the County Court a victim, known only as BD, said an inquiry would reveal the scale of the abuse and how it was dealt with by the church.
"An inquiry would be a really healthy thing for the people of Victoria,'' said BD.
"We need to look at the reporting mechanisms in the Catholic Church relating to sex offending and that will only go to stop further offending in the future and also help families who have lost someone.''
BD attended St Alipius primary school in Ballarat and he said there were a number of victims who have never come forward.
The offences for which Best was jailed today occurred at St Leo's Christian Brothers College at Box Hill, St Joseph's College in Geelong and St Alipius primary school at Ballarat where, as the principal, he raped a nine-year-old student.
Best, 70, pleaded guilty in May to 27 sexual assaults of boys at schools he taught at between 1969 and 1988.
Best initially contested the charges, with his defence funded by the Catholic Church.
Sentencing Best in the County Court today, Judge Roy Punshon ordered he serve 11 years and three months in jail before he is eligible for parole.
As he was led from the dock, a woman called out "f---ing arsehole'' while a man yelled at him "you're a dirty f---ing dog''.
Another man said "suck it up'' and a woman called him a maggot as Judge Punshon called for decorum in the courtroom.
Judge Punshon said the offending had caused much misery.
"You have caused a great deal of human damage and misery,'' he told Best.
He said the victim impact statements were "a salutary and powerful reminder of the devastating and long-lasting effect that sexual offending can have''.
Judge Punshon said Best's offending was a grave breach of trust due to his role as a teacher and spiritual guide.
"Because of your power and position of authority, victims who were young and immature commonly felt powerless and unable to complain, either at all or effectively,'' he said.
"Every one of your victims was a vulnerable student.''
Judge Punshon said Best was still a Christian Brother and had not sought to leave the order, nor was he told to do so.
He said Best's prospects of rehabilitation were uncertain and urged him to take part in a program for sexual offenders while in prison.
He has been jailed for a maximum 14 years and nine months.
He has been registered as a serious sexual offender.
Since 1996, six juries have convicted Best of sexual assaults against young boys.
He is already in jail serving four separate terms for indecent assaults against boys at his schools.
Lawyer Dr Vivian Waller, who represents victims, said the Catholic Church and the Christian Brothers need to face up to their responsibility to help people rebuild their lives and also provide compensation.
Ms Waller said that the Christian Brothers stood by Best and paid for his defence in numerous trials and court hearings.
"The Catholic Church and particularly the Christian Brothers, who have stood by Brother Best the entire time, now need to take the next step on the road to recovery for these victims by assisting them with their treatment and by providing them with compensation,'' she said.
Ms Waller acts for 11 victims of Best dealt with in court today and 14 others who allege they were abused at other boys' homes and orphanages across the state.
She said a public inquiry was needed to find out how offenders like Best were able to continue offending even after complaints were made to the Christian Brothers.
''Brother Best deliberately targetted the vulnerable. He did this in the course of his duties in providing pastoral care. He took enormous liberties and took advantage of people who were in a vulnerable position,''’ she said.
Stephen Woods, a victim in one of Best's earlier trials said he went to court today to see his attacker face justice at last.
Mr Woods gave the media permission to use his name and image and he said said Best, the Christian Brothers and the Catholic Church had caused so much pain and hurt over the years.
"Victims need to come forward because the church needs to hear the victims,'' Mr Woods said.
"The Church needs to understand that the pain and the suffering will just not be tolerated. That's why we need an inquiry to show the culpability of the Church and the Christian Brothers over the decades
"They haven't done the right thing by the victims. They haven't done the right thing by people who still belong to the Church. That needs to be dealt with.''
In a statement today, the Christian Brothers today repeated their "sincere and unreserved apology to those students who were abused by Robert Best".
Christian Brothers spokesman Brother Brian Brandon said the Christian Brothers were "deeply saddened by these events, especially by the great distress and suffering caused to these victims and their families".
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