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St Stanislaus College Paedophile Priest Turned Children's Lives into "Indescribable Hell"

By Lucy Carter
ABC News
February 2, 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-03/st-stanislaus-college-paedophile-priest-sentence/8238090

PHOTO: Former priest Brian Spillane outside a Sydney court in 2008. (AAP: Dean Lewins.)

Victims of the notorious paedophile priest Brian Joseph Spillane have told a Sydney court about the "indescribable hell" their lives became after being abused as children at St Stanislaus College at Bathurst.

Spillane is being sentenced on 18 offences including buggery and sexual assault after being found guilty after two separate trials last year.

Strict non-publication orders in place since 2013 prevented reporting on his numerous cases, however they were lifted by Judge Robyn Tupman late last year.

The 73-year-old has been in custody since 2010, and convicted of dozen offences against boys and girls in the years since, both at St Stanislaus College and during his work as a priest in Sydney and regional New South Wales.

Today, during sentencing submissions, several men abused between 1976 and 1988 at the central west NSW Catholic boarding school broke down in tears, as they told the court they felt "dead inside" and had failed to have successful relationships or careers because of the abuse.

One man, identified only as "L", told the court Spillane sexually abused and mentally tortured him, and that his existence since has been "the living embodiment of hell".

"My brain developed for fight or flight only," he said.

"I abused alcohol and drugs for many years as a form of escaping.

"I know now that the worst thing that could ever happen to a person could happen, and it happened to me.

''I am the one who has been given a life sentence.''

PHOTO: Spillane abused children at St Stanislaus College, at Bathurst, and as a priest in Sydney. (ABC News)

Victims 'lost hope'

Another victim, known as "Q", told the court Spillane's abuse had caused him pain, loss and suffering, and affected his relationship with his children.

"I have to explain why dad just walks out of the house sometimes ... why I am sometimes distant," he said.

Q told the court that over the nearly 10 years since charges were first brought against Brian Spillane, he had never shown "an ounce of remorse".

"I have lost the choice to get up every day and face the day with optimism and hope," he said.

"I have lost my faith in people, the church and the legal system," he said.

Victim "O" told the court he had over 200 jobs and struggled to deal with people in positions of authority because of the abuse.

"I have not been able to have a long-term loving relationship," he said.

Spillane will be sentenced on these 18 charges at a later date.

He is already serving at least 11 years in jail on previous convictions.

 

 

 

 

 




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