AUSTRALIA
Broken Rites
By a Broken Rites researcher (article posted 19 March 2015)
A member of the Catholic religious order of Marist Brothers in New South Wales — Brother Francis William Cable, known as Brother “Romuald” — was found guilty on 17 March 2015 of 13 serious child sex offences against two schoolboys after a jury trial in Sydney. Two days later, on March 19, he entered guilty pleas to offences against another 17 schoolboys. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on a later date. The offences, which occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, include buggery, plus multiple counts of indecent assault.
How the case began
In December 2012, New South Wales detectives (from Strike Force Georgiana, investigating historical child sex allegations) arrested Brother “Romuald” Cable (date of birth 3 May 1932) in a Canberra suburb (where he was living) after information from two former Marist Brothers school students in the Newcastle region. The detectives charged Brother Romuald with three indecent assault offences against the two students.
On 29 January 2013 Brother Romuald Cable appeared in Newcastle Local court, where the charges were officially recorded. The detectives increased the number of indecent assault charges to 23, and added two buggery charges. The number of alleged victims increased from two to six. After this court appearance, more former students contacted Strike Force Georgiana detectives.
On 13 March 2013 the case came up for mention again in the same court.The number of charges against Cable was increased to 33 and the number of alleged victims was increased to 12.
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