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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions
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The Press
June 22, 2002
Dis-orderly conduct
by Yvonne Martin
The
Catholic Order of St John of God is embroiled in a child sex abuse scandal
spanning both sides of the Tasman. In an ongoing investigation by The Press
into abuse by brothers running
Joseph was asleep in his new dormitory at
Bernard Kevin McGrath, a brother from the Order of St John of God, which ran
the school, told Joseph the lollies would be his if he followed the brother
back to his bedroom.
Joseph padded out of the dormitory, while the other boys slept, down the
hallway in his pyjamas.
In his room McGrath made Joseph stroke his genitals on the outside of his
trousers. He undressed Joseph and then stripped off his own white shirt, black
tie, and trousers.
"I was looking at the bedroom door for a way out but he had locked the
door when we first came in and I was very scared. I was shaking," says
Joseph.
McGrath made Joseph rub his genitals, while he kissed Joseph on the mouth and
neck. The session ended after half an hour with an ultimatum from McGrath:
don't tell a soul about their secret or he would be in serious trouble.
It was one night in January 1974, his second night at
Joseph's schoolboy ordeal sounds more like the events that have overtaken
Catholic church circles in the
On Wednesday, one of them, Patrick, now 51, broke the code of silence and in
doing so opened a window to years of sexual and physical abuse at
He received a $30,000 payout in July 1999 after complaining of sex abuse in the
late 50s and early 60s.
His punitively worded contract prevented him commenting on or publishing his claims
or the agreement.
St John of God later conceded that four
Five
Joseph has been waiting 28 years to tell his story. An automatic name
suppression, designed to protect sex abuse victims who go before the court,
prevents him from using his real name, even though he wants to. Until now his
contract with St John of God awarding him $94,900, prevented him from talking
to anyone other than his spouse, children, counsellors, therapists, doctors or
lawyers.
There have been plenty of therapists, doctors, and lawyers in his life, but no
partner or children. Joseph says his childhood ordeal led to a life of
"constant shame, depression, loneliness, and isolation."
He was born on January 9, 1966, ranked sixth in a good Catholic family of seven
brothers and sisters living on a dairy farm run by their father. Joseph was
diagnosed as autistic at four and sent to an IHC hostel in
At eight, his Dad sent him to
Joseph did not want to leave home, and was to see his family at holidays only,
three times a year.
His first impression of McGrath was favourable. "Brother McGrath seemed to
be very well spoken and my recollection is that I felt I could trust him. I
think at that time he was about 24 years old. "
Joseph's bed was near the door which led to the hallway and to McGrath's
bedroom. He believes he was targeted for three and a half years because being
quiet and a loner, he was unlikely to spill the beans.
"He put the fear of God into me. He said if you tell your parents you are
going to get it tougher. Even if I said something, I was afraid people weren't
going to believe me. I never told a soul."
Joseph says the sexual abuse happened every few months.
In one incident, during a weekend camp at Waikuku, Joseph remembers McGrath
ordered him to sleep in a room with him, rather than with the other boys in
dormitories. He was shaken awake by McGrath, who forced him into performing
more indecencies.
It was only after talking to an older boy, when Joseph was 11, that he learnt
the lewd behaviour was anything but natural. He plucked up the courage to tell
the Pryor in charge at the time.
The Pryor looked shocked with disbelief, Joseph recalls. He promised to sort
out the problem and told Joseph not to breathe a word to anyone.
On his return from his second term holiday McGrath had gone. "It was such
relief and joy."
Joseph remained at
He says his time at
He drifts between short-term lodgings, from job to job, and finds it hard to
trust people. He finally went to the police after talking to another former
Ten charges were laid against McGrath, half relating to his time at
In 2000, Joseph flew to
On his return home Joseph blew $65,000 of his settlement on his one joy, a
racing red V6 supercharged Holden Calais. He believes the Church deprived him
of a normal adulthood, perhaps a wife and children. The least it could do is
pay for his dream car.
.
ST JOHN OF GOD
The Order of St John of God was formed in
His followers formed an organisation of brothers and supporters that has
survived the centuries to operate more than 231 healthcare and social welfare
services throughout the world.
The Order went to
Earlier this month it was revealed that the Australasian Order has so far paid
out $4 million in compensation to 24 intellectually disabled men who were
abused at three different residential homes over four decades.
The brothers transported their residential schools system -- and it now appears
the abuse -- to
The school had up to 54 pupils at one point.
To date five
In 1984, the brothers withdrew and
The order has extensive ministries in
St John of God continues to run a hospital in
This statue (left), by
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CAPTION:
This statue (left), by