Church's Version of Sex Assault Disputed
By Joanne McCarthy
A WOMAN whose son was sexually assaulted by a Catholic school teacher in the 1970s has disputed a Christian Brothers version of its handling of the incident, and backed calls for a Royal Commission into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church. The woman denied any contact with Brother Anthony Peter Whelan, the principal of St Patrick's College, Sutherland, in 1978 after her son, 13, told Brother Whelan that he was sexually assaulted by teacher Thomas Keady. Brother Whelan went on to become director of schools for Broken Bay diocese, covering the Central Coast. He retired in March. The woman's statement that "we had no liaison with him whatsoever", contradicts a Christian Brothers' statement that Brother Whelan liaised with parents when allegations about Keady were raised with him. It also contradicts Brother Whelan's signed statement to a church-commissioned investigator in November 2010, that he advised students to inform their parents because "parents of the boys had the right to take the matter up with the police". The woman's son, a 46-year-old Sydney man, disputed Brother Whelan's statement that he told students to tell their parents. "That's not right at all," he said. "I expressly remember I was called into his office out of class and questioned. The first question was 'Does anyone know about this?' and 'Have you told your parents?' "I was very uneasy because, how could I have told my parents because of the trust they had for him? I remember thinking 'I can't tell mum and dad about this', so I told Whelan 'No'." He alleged Brother Whelan said: "Well, leave it with us. I'll look into the matter." Brother Whelan sacked Keady after the allegations were raised, but did not contact police, an investigation report by former NSW police assistant commissioner Norm Maroney found. It was handed to the Christian Brothers in August last year. The Christian Brothers prematurely terminated Mr Maroney's investigation of a complaint by Salt Ash man Robert Lipari against Keady and Brother Whelan, after substantiating allegations that Keady sexually assaulted Mr Lipari in 1976 when he was 11. Mr Maroney recorded an "Incomplete investigation" finding to an allegation Mr Lipari told Brother Whelan that Keady had sexually assaulted him. In his signed statement, Brother Whelan said he had "absolutely no knowledge" that Keady was convicted of a child sex offence before he was employed at the school. Brother Whelan said he was also unaware if an employment check on Keady was carried out before he was employed in 1966 because he did not work at the school at that time. After Keady was sacked from St Patrick's College, he was convicted of a further child sex offence at Wyong Local Court in 1994. The woman who denied any contact with Brother Whelan over her son's sexual assault said revelations about church failures to report allegations to police, including allegations raised in the Newcastle Herald about her son's former school and on the ABC's Four Corners program last week made her "very angry". "I grew up in a very Catholic family," she said. "I'd like to see it all brought out into the open and justice done, and if there needs to be a Royal Commission to do that, then that's what should happen." Her son said last week that he was "seriously contemplating making a formal complaint to police as early as next week". "I'd like to see Brother Whelan interviewed, but I'd also like that to be a sign for the Catholic Church and those above him," he said. Christian Brothers professional standards director Brother Brian Brandon said there would be no comment about the matter.
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