Ex-­marist Brother Denis Doherty Tells Royal Commission He Raised Sex Abuse Suspicions with Catholic Church in the 1970s

The Courier-Mail
June 16, 2014

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/exmarist-brother-denis-doherty-tells-royal-commission-he-raised-sex-abuse-suspicions-with-catholic-church-in-the-1970s/story-fnihsrf2-1226956579905

THE former principal of a Queensland school became emotional as he told of his anger when a pedophile brother was arrested two decades after he had first reported him to the Catholic Church.

Denis Doherty, an ex-­Marist brother, was principal of a north Queensland primary school where Brother Gregory Sutton, who was later jailed for 67 counts of child sexual abuse, started his career in the 1970s.

Mr Doherty told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that Sutton had “pets” among the students and he once entered a school room and found the teacher on the floor with three boys.

He also said Sutton would ride on a tractor mower with a boy sitting between his legs.

Mr Doherty raised his concerns with the Church and was reassured the matter would be dealt with.

Former Marist Brother Denis Doherty pictured at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Mr Doherty said he was never asked to write a report about Sutton but he heard in 1996 that he had been arrested in the US and would be extradited to Australia.