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	School Sex Accused to Plead Not Guilty The Australian September 15, 2008 http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24347145-26103,00.html THREE men accused of sexually abusing boys in their care at a Bathurst boarding school will plead not guilty to all charges, their lawyer says. Bathurst Local Court was today told the child sex case against the three former staff members of St Stanislaus College, in the central west NSW town, is expected to expand to include up to 40 alleged victims. Catholic Brother John Gaven, priest Peter Dwyer and former priest Brian Spillane face a total of 128 child sex charges relating to the alleged molestation of boys at the all-boy Catholic school at Bathurst in the 1970s and 1980s. Mr Spillane, 65, from Narwee in Sydney's southwest, today appeared in Bathurst Local Court on 93 charges relating to more than eight victims. His barrister, Greg Walsh also mentioned the cases of Father Dwyer and Mr Gaven before Magistrate Thomas Hodgson, saying all three men were pleading not guilty to all charges. Solicitor for the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Elizabeth Walker, told the court the case was rapidly expanding. "Your honour, I believe that there may be up to 100 additional statements," Ms Walker told the court. "There may be up to 40 complainants in respect to Mr Spillane alone." Former students of the college have come forward with allegations that boys were sexually abused during hypnotic late-night prayer and chanting sessions. One of the complainants, who has made claims against all three men, today told the court he had witnessed the abuse of up to 60 fellow students. Now aged in his 30s, the man said he was expelled from the school after first making a complaint in 1986, when he was in Year 7. Mr Walsh told the magistrate all the accused had no prior convictions and were of otherwise good character. The magistrate agreed to his request that bail reporting requirements for the three men be relaxed.
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