A Former Marist Brother, Who Was Later Appointed As a "Director of Child Safety", Is Facing Court Re Two Sydney Schools

Broken Rites
April 11, 2015

http://brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/356

When he was a Marist Brother in his mid-twenties, Brother Brett Anthony O'Connor taught in prominent Sydney schools. Then he left the Marist Order and began a career as a layman, eventually becoming the Director of Child Safety in the Queensland Government's Department of Education and Training. In 2015, NSW police have charged O'Connor with alleged child-sex offences, relating to his earlier career as a Marist Brother in Sydney — at St Joseph's College in Hunters Hill and St Gregory's College in Campbelltown. O'Connor, now aged 52, is scheduled to appear in a NSW court on Monday 13 April 2015 (case number 2015/00084871).

According to a Marist Brothers document, Brother Brett Anthony O'Connor was born on 22 February 1963.

Police allege that the offences in Sydney were committed against two students (one from St Joseph's College in 1987 and one from St Gregory's College in 1989). Police say that both boys were aged 12 at the time of the alleged sexual assaults. Brother Brett O'Connor later left the Marist Order and began a new career in non-church positions.

St Joseph's and St Gregory's were boys-only schools, catering for Years 7 to 12. Both of the alleged victims were among the youngest students in their school.

St Joseph's was for boarders only and it is sometimes regarded as one of Sydney's "most prestigious" schools.

This former Marist Brother came to the attention of the New South Wales Police in late 2014, and an investigation was conducted by detectives from the Campbelltown Local Area Command.

On 20 March 2015 the former Brother, who now lives in Brisbane, was interviewed by NSW detectives at Tweed Heads Police Station (on the NSW side of the Queensland border, 100 kilometres from Brisbane).

Under New South Wales law, police charged him with four counts of sexual assault (indecent assault under 16 under authority) and six counts of sexual assault (sexual intercourse under 16 under authority).

The former Brother was granted conditional bail until the case comes up for its first mention at Tweed Heads Local Court on 13 April 2015. This hearing will be a brief administrative process, during which the charges will be officially filed in New South Wales. The Tweed Heads magistrate would schedule a further mention for a later date. Eventually, according to normal practice, the case could move to a court in Sydney — the region where the alleged incidents occurred.

Queensland statement

On 8 April 2015, in response to a query from the media, the Queensland Government's Department of Education and Training issued the following statement:

"NSW Charges against Department of Education and Training employee

"The following may be attributed to a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Training:

"In line with privacy provisions, the Department is unable to comment on matters relating to individual employees.

"In late March, the Department suspended a public servant who has been charged by New South Wales police with a range of child-related offences.

"The charges are alleged to have been committed between 1987 and 1989, when the officer was employed in New South Wales.

"The employee notified the Department that he had been charged by police on Friday 20 March this year.

"The matters raised are now the subject of court proceedings in NSW and the Department will fully cooperate with NSW police as directed."