Melbourne's Xavier College Mentioned in Child Abuse Inquiry

ABC - Am
March 26, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-26/clergy-abuse-victim-wants-govt-to-sue-catholic/4594126?section=vic

[with audio]

A former student at Melbourne's prestigious Xavier College wants the State and Federal Governments to sue the Catholic Church for 6 billion dollars to pay victims for ongoing counseling and support. Speaking at Victoria's Parliamentary Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Chris Whelan said a high profile Jesuit teacher at Xavier College sexually abused young boys repeatedly more than 30 years ago.

TONY EASTLEY: A former student at Melbourne's prestigious Xavier College wants the State and Federal Governments to sue the Catholic Church for six billion dollars and use the money to pay for counselling and support of sexual abuse victims.

Speaking at Victoria's Parliamentary Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Chris Whelan said a high profile Jesuit teacher at Xavier College sexually abused young boys repeatedly more than 30 years ago.

It's only the second time someone has spoken publicly about sexual abuse by Jesuits in Australia.

Alison Caldwell reports.

ALISON CALDWELL: Xavier College in Kew in Melbourne's East has been described as the city's best connected school and counts among its alumni former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, Federal Minister Bill Shorten and the current Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart.

Chris Whelan went to Xavier's junior school, Burke Hall, when he was ten years old.

He told Victoria's parliamentary inquiry into child sexual abuse that he was abused physically, psychologically and sexually multiple times by a Jesuit teacher at Burke Hall.

Once he went up the hill to Xavier he says thought he was safe but he says the abuse started again at the hands of another Jesuit teacher.

CHRIS WHELAN: Within the first week, the other perpetrator was going around the class, as he was known to do, molesting kids - his hands down jumpers, up jumpers, up shorts, down pants.

He didn't do it to the kids who objected and there were some in a group, what the Americans call the jocks. You know, the tougher kids.

He did it to the weak and vulnerable ones who would not object.

He was a very, very, very famous Jesuit in this city of Melbourne.

I know there were other pupils who were subjected to sexual abuse by other staff members at Xavier College, lay and clergy.

ALISON CALDWELL: Because his father was a barrister and QC Chris Whelan decided to complain to the headmaster.

CHRIS WHELAN: I tell him, they're killing us in the classroom and this bloke's first and immediate reaction is physical. He jumps up, reaches for his drawer, pulls out his strap and goes to hit me across the face.

He's stopped only by the fact that I tell him that I'm going to tell my father.

ALISON CALDWELL: Chris Whelan says both of his abusers are now dead.

He's received a payment from the Jesuits on the proviso that he won't sue them.

He encouraged the inquiry to make a powerful recommendation urging the State Government to sue the Catholic Church.

CHRIS WHELAN: We recommend that the Government of Victoria and the Government of Australia fund legal action against the Catholic Church, address Vatican, Rome, to secure an amount of money to accommodate the therapeutic needs of the survivors of abuse by the Roman Catholic Church, six billion minimum because there's at least 6,000 people affected by it.

ALISON CALDWELL: Victoria's inquiry will hand all of its evidence over to the Federal Royal Commission, which begins in Melbourne next week.

TONY EASTLEY: Alison Caldwell.