AUSTRALIA
ABC News
By Jackson Vernon
A secrecy culture of “don’t ask, don’t tell” could explain historical allegations of child sex abuse within a religious order, the royal commission has been told.
The commission’s investigation into the response of the Catholic Church into alleged abuse heard from the De La Salle Brothers, an order which had one of the highest number of alleged perpetrators ministering between 1950 and 2010.
The order was subject 328 claims of sexual abuse, including 219 claims at its BoysTown facility in Beaudesert in Queensland.
Brother Ambrose Payne told the hearing that throughout the 20th century: “A sense of secrecy was part and parcel with the culture.”
“I believe that was demonstrated in such advice given to me as a young brother: never ask a brother where he’s going, where he’s been, or where did he get that from,” Brother Ambrose said.
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