Catholic Schools

The abuse at St Bernard’s College Essendon perpetrated by Brother Robert Charles Best and Father Daniel Dominic Hourigan continues to haunt survivors many decades later.

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.

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

St Carthage’s Primary School in Lismore, under the leadership of the Marist Brothers, has faced allegations and serious charges of child sexual abuse. Survivors who suffered at the hands of Brother Gregory Sutton and Brother John “Kostka” Chute have endured years of trauma.

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.

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.

Explore the ongoing journey to justice for survivors of Brother Gerard Rush’s abuse at Assumption College Kilmore and St. Patrick’s College in Sale. Learn how legal support can help survivors find healing and compensation.

St Pius X College in Chatswood, a prominent Sydney educational institution, has been linked to serious allegations of historical institutional child abuse involving two specific individuals: Brother Christopher Rafferty and Father Roger Michael Bellemore.

From the late 20th century through recent years, over 150 Marist Brothers have been accused of child sexual abuse, encompassing a broad range of illicit conduct.