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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Press
January 15, 2004

Catholic brothers to oppose extradition
by Yvonne Martin


Three Catholic brothers have indicated they will oppose extradition from Australia to face sex abuse charges in New Zealand.

The St John of God brothers, aged 56, 67 and 81, have been arrested by federal police in Sydney after the Christchurch District Court issued warrants to arrest in November.

Christchurch police have laid a total of 47 charges against the trio, after complaints from former pupils dating back almost 50 years.

The claims of abuse relate to when the brothers taught at Marylands, a Christchurch residential school for boys with learning and intellectual disabilities, until its closure in 1984.

The men have been remanded, on bail, in Sydney until Wednesday.

Late last month the Parramatta Local Court was told the men would be opposing the extradition orders.

Their solicitor, Greg Walsh, said it was possible the complainants had an "ulterior motive" in making their allegations after publicity about the order's $NZ4.5 million payout on abuse claims in Australia.

St John of God has also paid out more than $4 million to 56 complainants in New Zealand.

"The order in New Zealand published a hotline and 82 members of the former institution came forward and said they had been abused," Walsh told the court, reported The Daily Telegraph.

Two alleged victims were later charged in Christchurch after admitting they invented claims in a bid to get compensation. One man, Justin Richardson, 35, was jailed for 12 months late last year, after he was paid out more than $100,000 by the order.

The other, John Fenn, 39, admitted a charge of making a false statement to the police and got 200 hours community work this week.

Walsh said his clients had no previous criminal records and, being elderly, were suffering ill health. He said they had known they were under investigation for 18 months and had not tried to flee the country.

The judge approved bail for the trio, saying she was satisfied the men were not a flight risk and would attend future court hearings.