Former Catholic brother appears in court ..., by Sarah Dean, Daily Mail (UK) (December 24, 2014)

Former Catholic brother appears in court after being extradited back to Australia to face 252 child sexual assault charges

A former Catholic brother charged with 252 child sexual assaults has appeared in court after finally being extradited to Australia from New Zealand.

Former brother Bernard McGrath faced an extensive list of charges at Parramatta Local Court – including raping, molesting and abusing 35 children - after being flown in from New Zealand on Tuesday.

The Australian government has been seeking McGrath’s extradition for three years for crimes he allegedly committed during his time as a Catholic brother in the 1970s and 1980s.

In August, he was ordered to surrender to Australia by New Zealand's Justice Minister and then lost a High Court appeal against the extradition.

After being brought back to Australia he was taken to Mascot Police Station where he was charged.

He is accused of multiple child sexual assault offences alleged to have been committed in the NSW Hunter Region between 1977 and 1986.

In November 2011, Lake Macquarie Detectives commenced extradition proceedings against him while he was living in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Last week, the High Court in New Zealand authorised the man’s extradition to NSW.

McGrath was previously living in Sri Lanka and returned to New Zealand in 2012 after being told of the charges.