WA royal commission hears of sex abuse by Christian Brothers

By Nicolas Perpitch
Australian
April 28, 2014

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/wa-royal-commission-hears-of-sex-abuse-by-christian-brothers/story-fngburq5-1226898429419

A CHRISTIAN Brother tried to indecently assault a nine-year-old boy who went to him with the revelation that he had been anally raped by a fellow Brother, a royal commission has been told.

The first hour of evidence about abuse in up to four West Australian institutions run by the Christian Brothers has included allegations of anal rape and brutal beatings.

The Royal Commission into Christian Brothers Institutions in WA has begun public hearings into the Bindoon, Tardun, Clontarf and Castledare institutions run by the Christian Brothers.

The commission will hear evidence from 11 men who were residents at the institutions between 1947 and 1968.

Ahead of the Perth hearings, adult survivors of abuse at Christian Brothers-run residences in Western Australia told of their hopes that a royal commission could bring some justice. Many were sent to Australia from Britain as young boys, part of the Home Children migration scheme in which over 100,000 British children sent to Commonwealth realms including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.

In her opening address, counsel assisting Gail Furness said they were boys as young as seven years old and each suffered sexual and other abuse.

One man, known before the hearings as VV, was brought to Australia from England at the age of nine and sent to Bindoon. Ms Furness told the hearing he was anally raped by Brother Angus after being there for only about two weeks.

“After the assault, he told Father William what happened whereupon Father William took him to his room and also tried to indecently assault him,” she said.

VV is due to give evidence explaining he was sexually assaulted by four brothers, by older boys and also by a regular visitor to Bindoon, known to the court as VF because his name is subject to a non publication order, who would take boys out on ‘picnics’ arranged by Brother Dick.

Ms Furness said Edward Delaney, also sent to Bindoon from England, will give evidence that when he was 10 or 11 years old, “Brother Doyle broke his fingers on both his hands by belting him repeatedly with a leather strap that had a hacksaw blade stitched into it. Mr Delaney still has a deformity caused by this abuse.”

The royal commission was told four Christian Brothers have been the subject to charges of sexual assault of children at one or more of the four institutions.

Only one, Bother Dick, was jailed. He was convicted in 1994 of 10 counts of unlawfully and indecently dealing with five boys under the age of 14. He was sentenced to three and half years in jail.

The public hearing continues.