AUSTRALIA
The Courier
By FIONA HENDERSON May 3, 2013
THE Christian Brothers paid $1 million to defend paedophile Brother Robert Best.
A further $500,000 was spent on legal fees for other shamed brothers, including Edward Dowlan and Stephen Farrell who, along with Best, taught at Ballarat East’s St Alipius school in the 1970s.
The parliamentary inquiry into institutionalised child sex abuse also heard the Christian Brothers paid a private investigator to look into at least one victim’s “bizarre behaviour” to use in Best’s defence.
In front of a packed gallery at Parliament House, Christian Brothers Oceania Province deputy province leader Brother Julian McDonald said Best, who is still a Christian Brother, was often visited in Ararat jail.
“You don’t just add further to the judgement,” Brother McDonald said.
“Family members should visit another family member in jail. He is still a brother.”
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