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Christian Brother hugged after complaint

Courier Mail
February 22, 2016

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/christian-brothers-focus-of-abuse-inquiry/news-story/27eed9999d05161b8a2faee1868db4c1

A victim hopes the royal commission exposes the "hideous" child sex abuse by Christian Brothers.

A superior hugged a Christian Brother after an abuse complaint and missed opportunities to stop another pedophile abusing innocent victims, an inquiry has heard.

Convicted pedophile Stephen Farrell has told the child abuse royal commission his Ballarat superior Br Paul Nangle simply gave him a cuddle after informing him a year five student had accused him of abuse in the 1970s.

"He just put his arms around me and gave me a long cuddle. No words were said," Farrell told the commission during a private hearing.

"He then just walked out. And that was Brother Nangle's way of coping with this, you know, of helping me."

Another student, Martinus Claassen, also went to Br Nangle, his headmaster at Ballarat's St Patrick's College, after housemaster Br Edward Dowlan stroked his genitals while asking why the form one student had not done his homework in 1974.

"He asked me `why are you making these stories up?' and `are you sure you're not making this up?'" Mr Claassen told the commission on Monday.

Nothing was done. Mr Claassen said it was only years later that he learned many other boys had also been abused by Dowlan.

Mr Claassen said Br Nangle missed an opportunity to act after that 1974 meeting with the student and his mother.

"There were innocent victims from later years that may not have had to suffer if Br Nangle had handled the situation differently," Mr Claassen said.

"I think that Br Nangle failed in his job as headmaster by not acting to protect the boys in his care."

Br Nangle will give evidence to the commission this week as it focuses on the Christian Brothers' response to child sex abuse complaints.

Across Australia more than 850 people have told the Catholic Church they were sexually abused as children by 281 Christian Brothers, receiving $37.3 million in compensation.

Counsel assisting the commission Gail Furness SC said a complaint was made to Perth's auxiliary bishop about Brother BWX in 1960, who admitted ordering seven boys to undress and touching their genitals while explaining their function.

The bishop recommended the brother be immediately removed, noting a transfer during the term break would not be as noticeable and would "more easily smooth out embarrassment".

Ms Furness said a former student from St Kevin's College in Melbourne then complained to the Christian Brothers that BWX indecently assaulted him at the Toorak school in the late 1970s.

Victim BWW said a Christian Brothers provincial told him in 1996 a predecessor had destroyed records from BWW's complaint to the head of the Brothers in 1981.

This week's hearing is focused on six brothers who all taught in Ballarat schools.

Three taught at St Alipius Boys School in 1973, when Australia's worst pedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale was the school chaplain.

Ms Furness said Br Gerald Fitzgerald, who died in 1987 without being charged, was "forced" to retire from teaching at St Alipius in 1975 but continued to live in the St Patrick's community.

A 1976 Christian Brothers visitation report stated: "His difficulties of last year may well have been caused by his having reached that stage of life when for some men control of emotional impulses becomes lessened."




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