AUSTRALIA
ABC News
By David Marchese
A fiery exchange at the child sex abuse royal commission has seen the former principal of a Marist Brothers high school in Newcastle labelled a “coward and a liar”, after saying he cannot remember the circumstances surrounding a boy’s suicide.
Christopher Wade was questioned for a second day at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearing into the Hunter region’s Catholic Church.
Brother Christopher was principal of the Marist Brothers’ Hamilton school during the 1970s, when 13-year-old student Andrew Nash killed himself after he was sexually abused by a teacher.
Brother Christopher told the commission today he “could not remember” going to the Nash family home the night of the death, when Andrew’s mother Audrey recalled paedophile Francis Cable, known as Brother Romuald, asked her if her son “left a note” or “said anything”.
Mrs Nash’s barrister, Hilbert Chiu, became heated during his questioning of Brother Christopher:
Mr Chiu: You were relieved that Andrew told nobody before he died.
Brother Christopher: That’s not true.
Mr Chiu: You were relieved because in your mind the problem had gone away.
Brother Christopher: That’s not true.
Mr Chiu: And when Brother Romuald moved schools two months later you were even more relieved because he was no longer your problem.
Brother Christopher: That’s not true.
Mr Chiu ended his grilling of Brother Christopher with an accusation.
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