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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Dominion
June 20, 2002

Sex abuse: $300,000 paid out in secret deals
NZPA

Four Christchurch members of a troubled Catholic order have had sexual and physical abuse claims made against them, for which the church has paid out $300,000 in secret deals.

It has emerged that the St John of God order, which is under siege on both sides of the Tasman, has made payments to five New Zealanders. All had controversial confidentiality clauses built into their agreements. The order is calling for other people who believe they are victims of abuse by priests to come forward or go to the police.

One man, who wants to be called Patrick, spoke out on Tuesday about how the church had bought his silence. He received a $30,000 payout in July 1999 on condition he kept quiet about his sexual abuse allegations from his years at a Christchurch residential school, Marylands. Critics say the church effectively paid "hush money" to bury a potential scandal.

The St John of God order in Australia has paid $3.64 million in compensation to 24 intellectually disabled men who were sexually abused there. A total of 20 brothers in Australia and New Zealand have had allegations made against them.

Negotiations are continuing in Australia for out-of-court settlements in up to eight more cases involving the order.

Brother Peter Burke, head of the St John of God order in Australia and New Zealand, said the five New Zealand cases dated back to the 1960s and 1970s.

None of the four accused brothers remained working for the order. Bernard Kevin McGrath, jailed for three years in 1993 after admitting 10 charges of indecencies on schoolboys, was suspended from the order. He is understood to be living in New Zealand.

The brother accused of abusing Patrick is retired, in his 80s, and living in a New South Wales rest home. He had always strongly denied the accusations, Brother Burke said.

The other two accused brothers have died.

Brother Burke urged anyone else with grievances to contact him directly or through other parties, including the police, for their cases to be investigated.

Yesterday, Brother Burke issued a personal apology to Patrick "for the hurt he has suffered and probably continues to suffer" over the confidentiality clause.

Patrick said he accepted the apology and has tried to put his schoolboy ordeal behind him. "I have hardened up a lot over the years, but this still haunts me," he said.