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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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NZ Herald
January 29, 2004

Extradition hearing for churchmen on sex abuse charges set
NZPA

A hearing opposing the extradition of three Catholic clergymen to New Zealand to face child sex abuse charges will be heard in Sydney in May.

A three-day hearing has been set down in Downing Centre Local Court, starting on May 10, the two brothers and a priest were told today.

Magistrate Robert Abood continued their bail until then.

The men - aged 82, 68 and 56 - are members of the St John of God order.

New Zealand police have filed 37 sexual abuse charges against them.

The allegations, some of which go back almost 50 years, relate to their time working at Marylands, a school for boys with learning and intellectual disabilities, in Christchurch. The school closed in 1986.

There was debate in court today about whether the men had been granted bail under the Extradition Act, which has a stronger standard than usual bail, when they first appeared in Parramatta court last month, but Mr Abood said it was a matter he did not have to review.

Last week, the men's lawyer, Greg Walsh, said the 56-year-old priest was gravely ill with throat cancer and the other two were also ill.

He said it was possible the complainants had an ulterior motive in making their allegations after publicity about the St John of God's order's $NZ$4.5 million payout on abuse claims