Facing 252 Child Sex Charges: Catholic Brother Fights Extradition to Australia

Sydney Morning Herald
December 17, 2012

http://www.smh.com.au/world/facing-252-child-sex-charges-catholic-brother-fights-extradition-to-australia-20121217-2biju.html

Fighting extradition ... Bernard McGrath. Photo: Dean Kozanic

A former Catholic brother and convicted pedophile will fight an attempt to extradite him from New Zealand to Australia where he is facing 252 child sex charges.

Bernard Kevin McGrath, a former St John of God brother who was jailed in 2006 for sexually abusing boys at Marylands School in Christchurch in the 1970s, appeared in Christchurch District Court on Monday.

McGrath, 65, is alleged to have repeatedly raped, molested and abused dozens of young boys at church-run institutions in the Newcastle-Maitland diocese of NSW during the late 1970s and 1980s.

His lawyer Phillip Allan told the court he had filed a notice of opposition to the extradition application.

The case will return to court on January 28 for a date to be set for the hearing, the Christchurch Court News website reports.

McGrath was remanded on strict bail conditions.

He was arrested after flying back to New Zealand from Sri Lanka late last month.