Christian Brother Didn't Believe Complaint

By Megan Neil
news.com.au
February 24, 2016

http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/christian-brother-didnt-believe-complaint/news-story/f4eebc0ccb4d6693fbf1f4876f043a81

A religious superior threatened to "get" a teacher who complained about a pedophile Christian Brother, an inquiry has heard.

A lay teacher was shocked when another pedophile Brother, Br Edward Dowlan, joined Geelong's St Mary's College, soon after another had left, the child abuse royal commission heard.

"Dowlan's inappropriate behaviour with the students was worse than (redacted) and I couldn't believe what was happening," Robert Thompson told police.

"Within a short period of time I was beginning to receive complaints from students about Br Dowlan and that he was sexually interfering with them."

Mr Thompson said he was "frozen out" at the college after approaching the Christian Brothers community leader Br John O'Halloran in 1987 or 1988.

"He asked me to resign and threatened me. He said he would in the end get me."

The inquiry also heard Br O'Halloran dismissed out of hand a 1988 complaint about Dowlan's improper conduct by a year 7 student at the St Augustine's boys home in Geelong.

"John is convinced that there could be no substance to the allegation," a Brothers' community visitation report said.

The commission heard the mother of a student at Cathedral College in East Melbourne tried to complain about Dowlan touching children in 1985.

Her son said Dowlan had touched him and it was common knowledge at the school that the students believed the Brother had a problem with touching them.

The woman said she got the impression the headmaster knew what was going on as he was only interested in finding out who she was, not what she knew, the inquiry heard on Wednesday.

Dowlan has been convicted of indecently assaulting about 30 boys.

Originally published as Christian Brother didn't believe complaint