AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
Brett O’Connor, head of child protection in Queensland schools, charged with historical sex abuse offences against pupils at two Sydney private schools
April 11, 2015
Louise Hall
Court Reporter
The man responsible for child protection in Queensland public schools has been charged with a series of child sex offences against students at two prominent Sydney private schools where he taught as a Catholic Brother in the 1980s.
Brett Anthony O’Connor, 52, is the director of child safety at Queensland’s Department of Education and Training.
Last month, Mr O’Connor was charged by NSW detectives over indecent and sexual assaults allegedly committed against a 12-year-old boy when he was a Marist Brother at Sydney’s prestigious St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill in 1987.
He was also charged with sexually and indecently assaulting a 12-year-old-boy at St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown in 1989. Both colleges are large independent Catholic day and boarding schools for boys, run by the Marist Brothers.
O’Connor later left the religious order and qualified as a psychologist.
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