Catholic Church Abuse

The High Court today has delivered a catastrophic blow to all victims of childhood sexual abuse by religious clergy, brethren, and volunteers such as Scouts Australia and Surf Lifesaving clubs.

The history of abuse at St Bernard’s College, Essendon, and the involvement of Brother Robert Charles Best and Father Daniel Dominic Hourigan.

In 2015, Brother Dowlan was sentenced for offences committed against 20 boys across several schools, Chanel College among them.

Father Anthony William Peter Caruana, who served as a dorm master, rugby coach, and bandmaster at Chevalier College eft a lasting impact on many students, but recent allegations of abuse have cast his role in a troubling new light.

Brother Romuald (Francis Edward Cable) and Brother Patrick (Thomas Butler) both left a trail of trauma and emotional damage at Marist Brothers Hamilton that, for those who survived if, continues to have significant impacts on their daily lives.

Father Paul “Rex” Brown served as a Catholic priest within the Diocese of Lismore for decades, but his legacy has been overshadowed by multiple allegations of child sexual abuse.

The Passionist Order, also known as the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, has been embroiled in serious abuse allegations in Australia. Key figures within the order, such as Father Daniel Lyne and Brother Vincent Crawford, have been implicated in numerous cases of sexual abuse spanning several decades.

St. Patrick’s College in Sale, Victoria, carries a history of profound tragedy marked by numerous allegations of sexual abuse. These incidents, primarily occurring during the 1970s and 1980s, have left lasting scars on the lives of many former students.

In a significant legal development, the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has been held liable for the actions of Father Pickin, who died in 2015, but who had been a Scripture teacher accused of abusing children under their care.