Brother 'Romuald' among three Marist brothers alleged to have abused children in Newcastle

By Daniel Burdon
Canberra Times
September 5, 2016

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/brother-romuald-among-three-marist-brothers-alleged-to-have-abused-children-in-newcastle-20160905-gr9c5g.html

Francis Cable, also known as Brother Romuald, allegedly abused 19 children before he came to the ACT, where he worked at St Edmund's for a decade. Photo by Jonathan Carroll

A man has told an inquiry how he was sexually abused by three Marist brothers, including a brother who later taught at St Edmund's in Canberra, over years at a Newcastle school.

The man, known as CNQ, told the inquiry his principal at the Newcastle school put his hands up and said "there's nothing I can do" when he reported being touched.

The witness said he was first abused by Brother Dominic, whose real name is Darcy O'Sullivan, within a month of starting at Marist Brothers High School at Hamilton in 1977.

The royal commission is examining how Maitland-Newcastle Catholic authorities dealt with allegations levelled at Brother Dominic, Brother Patrick and Brother Romuald, whose real name is Francis Cable.

Cable, who was understood to have molested up to 11 children in Newcastle, later taught at St Edmund's in Canberra between 1979 and 1989.

The witness, CNQ, also told the royal commission another brother put his hands in his pyjamas the following year, before Brother Patrick began committing sickening abuse in a classroom and chapel in 1980.

The royal commission also heard from Father William Burston, who read last rites following the suicide of 13-year-old Marist Brothers student Andrew Nash.

He admitted he probably described the 1974 death to others as a "prank gone wrong" because he thought the hanging did not seem like a suicide.

The royal commission has heard "a lot" of people think the boy may have been abused by Brother Romuald.

"If that is true, I would be disgusted," one of Romuald's victims, CNV, whose older brother was also abused at the school, said.

"I know that my brother and my father told the Marist Brothers about Brother Romuald in 1972 and 1973."

The hearing in Newcastle is expected to continue on Tuesday.