Institutional Child Abuse

The history of Brother John Climacus Kissane, a member of the Christian Brothers, reveals serious misconduct in several Catholic schools across Victoria and Tasmania.

The John Oxley Youth Detention Centre in Brisbane, Australia, has been at the centre of serious child sexual abuse allegations between 1987 and its eventual closure in 2001.

Brian Spillane faced numerous charges related to sexual offences against children. He was convicted for sexually abusing seven students between 1974 and 1990 at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst.

Father David Rapson is a former Catholic priest who was convicted of multiple sexual offences against children. He was associated with the Salesians of Don Bosco, a religious order that operates schools in Australia. Rapson’s crimes took place at several Catholic schools in Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales.

The historical abuse at St Patrick’s College in Goulburn was notorious throughout the 1970s and 1980s, where several members of the Christian Brothers, the order managing the school, were implicated in disturbing cases of child sexual abuse, most notably Brother William John Obbens and Brother David Standen.

Edmund Rice College in Wollongong has a storied history, first established as Christian Brothers’ College in 1926. Unfortunately, this legacy is also marked by grave allegations of child sexual abuse.

Over 50 years ago, a Sydney court convicted and sentenced Brother John Patrick O’Brien for his crimes against boys at St Joseph’s College.

Father Perrett’s first conviction in 1996 for child sexual abuse underscored a systemic failure to protect the innocent. With over 100 charges pending, his death in 2020 halted further legal action, leaving many victims without the closure of a trial.

Between 2003 and 2008, Cameron Tweeddale Smith, a former employee at Brighton Grammar School in Melbourne, was accused of abusing his position to harm students. These allegations, which resulted in legal charges, underline the gravity of the betrayal and the need for institutional accountability.