Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse Hears Dog May Have Been Used to Groom Children

news.com.au
June 12, 2014

http://www.news.com.au/national/royal-commission-into-child-sex-abuse-hears-dog-may-have-been-used-to-groom-children/story-fncynjr2-1226953650194

Terence Heinrich (left), Principal of Marist College, Canberra, leaves the Royal Commission into Sexual Abuse with Francis Sullivan (right) of the Catholic Church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council. Source: News Corp Australia

A SERIAL paedophile had a labrador called Jason which was used as a possible “grooming device” against his students, the Royal Commission into child sex abuse has been told.

Former headmaster Brother Terence Heinrich has admitted it was “very peculiar” for brothers at Marist College Canberra to have dogs and pupils were “certainly” attracted to this one.

Brother Heinrich, 68, told a hearing in Canberra Brother John Chute, known as Brother Kostka, was not the only brother who ever had a dog.

“But certainly it was most unusual,” he conceded.

The Royal Commission is also looking into fellow Marist Brother Gregory Sutton, who abused children during his teaching years at several schools in the ACT, NSW and Queensland and was sentenced to 18 years jail for child sex offences.

Lawyer Peter O’Brien, representing former student Damian De Marco, put it to the headmaster that the labrador could have been used by Brother Kostka to “carry out his paedophilic behaviour”.

“I can’t agree with that notion, no,” Brother Heinrich replied.

“Do you think in hindsight the dog was, if you like, a grooming device for Kostka?” Mr O’Brien asked.

“I can’t answer that, I don’t know.”

Brother Kostka spent two years behind bars after being charged in 2008 with 19 counts of sexual abuse against children.

The commission has been told how he abused young boys during film nights, in his dark room, as well as in front of other students.

The headmaster at the time told the commission he felt “disappointment” that the provincial did not alert him to Kostka’s history at previous schools.

“Some anger. Some sadness,” Brother Heinrich added, but said “the failure in all of this began with me”.

“In many ways I was bereaved of a strategy to deal with it.”

He also admitted, from looking at past yearbooks, it appeared Brother Kostka continued to supervise film nights at the college, despite an allegation raised by a boy’s parents he abused their son during one.

Brother Christopher Wade, headmaster of the college from 1993, told the hearing he was not made aware of any allegations against Brother Kostka in his handover from another principal.

When asked what he would have done if he had known, Brother Wade said he would have put him in a maintenance or secretarial position.

“Maybe some kind of position in the support staff,” he explained, but agreed it would still have been on school grounds.

Brother Wade did admit to have heard something about Brother Kostka having “misbehaved with children” in the 1960s, but thought it was too “old” and “vague” to have taken it to his superior.

The reason Brother Kostka was moved on from Marist College in December 1993 was kept secret from him, Brother Wade told the commission.

“I think looking back now, I think it was inadequate,” he acknowledged.

The hearing continues in Canberra.