AUSTRALIA
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The Marist Brothers, a Catholic Church teaching order, allowed a paedophile member to continue teaching, even at a prestigious Sydney boarding school, despite knowing of his past abusive behaviour dating back to the 1950s. This was revealed at the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse 4th case study, concerning the Catholic Church’s “Towards Healing” process, which dealt with abuse allegations throughout Australia, except in Melbourne.
The hearing has previously heard of abuse cases in the Brisbane archdiocese and the Lismore diocese. This week it has been concerned with the Marist Brothers. It has heard from a victim, known only as DG, who was abused by Brother Raymond Foster in the 1970s. Foster suicided on the day he was due to appear in court for extradition to Queensland State. He left a note in which he admitted abusing DG, and asked DG for forgiveness.
The Marist Brothers did not notify DG of the note, and issued press releases saying Foster had died of natural causes and was a good man. DG only found out about the note through the Commission. The Marists had denied the abuse, and instructed their lawyers and insurance company accordingly to resist compensating DG.
Alexis Turton (pictured above), who was provincial (i.e. head) of the Marist Brothers Sydney region until the mid-1990s told the enquiry that Brother Foster was teaching at St Joseph’s College in August 1994 even though there had been complaints about him starting in 1991.
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