Sexual abuse scandal at Marylands School, Christchurch

Marylands School which was operated by the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God, a Catholic religious order in Christchurch, was the centre of a number of sex abuse cases.

Description

By 2006, the Australasian branch of the St John of God order had paid out $5.1 million to survivors who had been sexually abused at the school.[1] A nonprofit trust, the Survivors of Sex Abuse Trust, worked with many of the victims. Over 120 complaints were made in regard to sexual and physical abuse alleged to have occurred at the school.[2] Many of the offences were committed in the 1970s.

The head of the Brothers of St John of God, Brother Timothy Graham, said,

"I repeat my unreserved apology and that of the Brothers of St John of God to each and every victim of sexual abuse as well as profound sadness for the crimes that took place at Marylands all those years ago."[3]

Bernard McGrath

Brother Bernard Kevin McGrath received 21 guilty verdicts and pleaded guilty to one charge of sexually abusing boys.[4] In 2009 TV One screened an episode of Real Crime: Beyond the Darklands in which clinical psychologist Nigel Latta talked to McGrath's victims and evaluated his motivations and likelihood to re-offend. In November 2012, 252 new charges were laid in New South Wales against McGrath alleging that he repeatedly raped, molested and abused dozens of young boys at church-run institutions in the Newcastle-Maitland diocese over several decades. McGrath, then aged 65 years, flew back to Christchurch from Sri Lanka on 29 November 2012 and was arrested on Friday 30 November to face proceedings to extradite him to Australia on the new charges.[5] In late 2014 he was extradited to Australia and appeared in court on the charges contained in an 8000-page brief.[6][7]

Brother Roger Maloney

In 2008 Brother Roger Maloney, who also worked at Marylands School, was found guilty of seven sex abuse charges and was acquitted of a further 16.[8] After being extradited from Australia, he was jailed for three years for committing sex offences.[9] He unsuccessfully appealed against the length of the sentence.[10] After serving 13 months of a 33-month sentence he was accepted back into the Australian branch of the Order of St John of God.[11]

Brother Raymond Garchow

Father Raymond John Garchow (1940s?-3 March 2011[12]) was given a stay of proceedings relating to eight charges over the sexual abuse of boys because he was too ill to stand trial.[1][13][14][15]

Brother William Lebler

Brother William Lebler was one of three Brothers from St John of God charged with child sex crimes in 2005. Australian Magistrate Hugh Dillon ordered Lebler, Garchow and Maloney to be extradited to New Zealand. Psychologists deemed Lebler 'borderline retarded' and therefore was deemed unfit to stand trial.[16] In 2013, Lebler was filmed by the Sydney Morning Herald attended an alcoholics anonymous meeting in Sydney CBD.[17]

St John of God has paid compensation to many of Lebler's victims, often demanding the victim signs a Non Disclosure Agreement to ensure their silence[18]

See also

References
  1. Henzell, John (17 March 2006). "Trial attempt to regain faith". The Press. p. 1.
  2. Martin, Yvonne (21 June 2007). "Fresh allegations against order". The Press.
  3. "Pedophile brother to be deported to Australia". cathnews.com. 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  4. "Angry reaction after monk jailed for sex abuse". The New Zealand Herald. 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  5. David Clarkson, "Ex-brother returns to ChCh to face abuse charges", The Press, 3 December 2012.
  6. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/64456780/bernard-kevin-mcgrath-extradited-to-nsw-to-face-252-child-sex-assault-charges
  7. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-25/catholic-brother27s-child-sexual-abuse-case-adjourned-because-/6347080
  8. Hartevelt, John (26 June 2008). "Catholic brother convicted of abuse". The Press. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  9. "St John of God brother jailed". Radio New Zealand. 1 August 2008.
  10. Gates, Charlie (10 April 2010). "Catholic order criticised". The Press. Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  11. Yvonne Martin (16 June 2007). "Order Called to Account After Nine Years As Complaints Manager for a Deeply Troubled Catholic Order, Psychologist Michelle Mulvihill Has Quit in Disgust". The Press. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  12. "Raymond Garchow Australian Tribute Website | OnlineTributes.com.au". respectance.com.au. 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  13. "Court lets Catholic brother walk free". stuff.co.nz. 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012. Garchow faced eight charges over the sexual abuse of boys at the Marylands school, run by the Brothers of St John of God Order, in the 1970s.
  14. "Catholic inquiry stretches over four years; St John of God: the story so far". The Press. 24 April 2006.
  15. "Stay of proceedings "appropriate"". Radio New Zealand. 8 July 2008.
  16. https://www.smh.com.au/national/priest-and-brother-to-be-extradited-20050215-gdkp5e.html
  17. https://www.smh.com.au/national/brother-accused-of-child-abuse-left-unsupervised-20130213-2edc4.html
  18. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=2049582
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