Clergy Abuse

 Yep, way off the topic but ...

When I was about 13 years old, at Marist Brothers, Hamilton I was regularly sexually fondled by Brother " Patrick" Thomas Butler aka "Pat the Poof". He's dead now, but Marist  Brothers have since acknowledged that he molested and sexually assaulted boys. I never felt special about his attentions, it went on every day, and had been for years before I arrived

One day I was summoned by my class master, "Gentle" Jim Forbes to attend a meeting with Year Coordinator Brother "Dominic" Darcy  O'Sullivan. But Be Dom', also very handy with young boys, was a smooth operator and made sure he never got a disclosure. Darcy O'Sullivan is now serving a stretch on gaol for sexually assaulting 12 children over a 13 year period.

On October that year a classmate, Andrew Nash, died suddenly at home after school. At a Commission of  Inquiry into Marist Brothers Hamilton  years later it was revealed that Andrew had hung himself, it was the youngest known suicide in  NSW at the time. Hisum Audrey said he'd been quiet since attending Bar Beach with Brother "Romuald" Francis Cable months earlier. Francis is currently serving time for dozens of child sex offences, including rape of a boy at Bar Beach. I had a brother in-law die suddenly from heart attack inthe week before he was due to give evidence on relation to Francis Cable. One of the magistrates hearing these matters described Cable's behaviour as cruel and sadistic and his  character was totally lacking in remorse.  

So, that day, of I had felt safe and made disclosures against Brother "Patrick", my concerns would have been forwarded to School Principal Brother "Christopher" William Wade. But he likely would have shut it down because he too is a child sex offender cirremtly doing time and the Commissioner identified him as untrustworthy and having lied and withheld information while giving evidence. 

On the unlikely event that a disclosure went further to tje Provincial Head of Marist Brothers, Brother Alexis TurtoN, he was unlikely to act in  a supportive way because he's a dodgy witness too. 

If, when my hyperthetical disclosure went up through the ranks of the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese it would have gone to Monitor Frank Coolahan. He'e dead now, but it has been shown that he had sexually abised at least one young  boy and  actively sought out paedophiles to  employ in  the diocese.

In the unlikely event that it went higher to the Bishop, Leo Clark, well yes, sex offender. Thankfully dead now. 

Years later a local priest, Reverend Glen Walsh, made a complaint against another priest Phillip Wilson, since promoted to Archbishop of Adelaide, and was asked to attend the Vatican. Apparently Pope Francis asked him about evidence Walsh was to give on am upcoming trial. So, the Pope could be charged with hindering a witness or perverting the course of justice. So I ask what chance did we children have of being safe?

For further corroborating information: "Altar Boys" by Suzanne Smith.