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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Southland Times
June 28, 2002

Man alleges Catholic sex abuse
by Julie Asher

Invercargill police have been contacted by one man so far who says he was sexually abused at a Catholic residential school in Christchurch during the 1960s.

Detective Sergeant Brian Hewett said detectives had preliminary discussions with a man in his 40s who alleges he was abused at the school in the 1960s.

That was not to say there were not more in the pipeline but no one else had contacted Invercargill police so far, Mr Hewett said.

Allegations have been made that Brother Rodger Moloney, who was the prior at Marylands, the St John of God Order's residential school in Christchurch before the 1970s, took part in sexual abuse of pupils at the school.

In 1993, a former Marylands brother, Bernard Kevin McGrath, was jailed for three years after admitting 10 indecencies against boys, half relating to his time at Marylands in the mid-1970s and the rest to his work in 1991 with the Hebron Trust.

In 1997, McGrath was jailed for nine months in Australia for child sex offences there. He has since been removed from the order.

Four former Christchurch brothers have had complaints made about them.

None remains in the order.

So far the order has paid out $300,000 to five New Zealand complainants, who claimed to be abused in the 1960s to 70s, on the condition they keep their claims and payments secret.

Two Christchurch men who have spoken to the news media have been assured their payments will not be reclaimed despite strict confidentiality clauses in their settlement agreements.

The agreements threatened payments would be reclaimed if the victims spoke about their claims or settlements to anyone other than spouses, children, counsellors, therapists, doctors or lawyers.

The order has now instructed its lawyers in Australia and New Zealand not to use confidentiality clauses in agreements with abuse victims.

In Australia, the order has paid $4 million to 24 intellectually disabled men sexually abused by the brothers.

Brother Maloney, 67, left Marylands in 1977 and has been ordered to step aside from his position on the governing body of the order in Australasia.

The Australisian head of the order, Brother Peter Burke, has urged people who believe they were victims of abuse to contact the police. Mr Hewett said anyone with complaints could go to the Invercargill police.

The order of St John of God was formed in Spain in the 1540s around a man known as John of God for his dedication to those living on the fringes of society.

In 1947, the order went to Australia from Ireland and from there to New Zealand in 1955 when Marylands was opened.

Marylands was a residential school for boys with learning difficulties.