Two more religious orders admit abuse

Brothers apologise to victims attacked in care

TWO Catholic religious orders yesterday apologised to dozens of victims who suffered sexual and physical abuse in their care.

The Christian Brothers and Marist Brothers admitted serious systemic faults which allowed vulnerable children to be abused.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has heard a catalogue of evidence from religious groups which said serious failures allowed abuse to happen.

The Christian Brothers ran St Ninian’s School in Falkland, Fife, a foster home for orphans and children whose parents were unable to look after them.

Speaking on behalf of the congregation at the inquiry yesterday, Brother Michael Madigan revealed that, in one case, a brother was sent from St Ninian’s to the order’s Liverpool base in the early 1960s after suspicions over his conduct around children. Brother Madigan said: ‘He could not be trusted with children. There was some element of inappropriate sexual behaviour towards children.’

The man was also an alcoholic and received psychiatric treatment but Brother Madigan said he ‘could not be absolutely sure that he didn’t work with children again’ – although the man was ‘relieved of his vows’.

In 1998, a former pupil said he had been abused by the man. The alleged abuser died in the 1990s.

The victim had spoken to police as well as to members of the order, who spoke to the man but were advised by the order’s lawyers to limit contact in case it was later construed as trying to dissuade him from continued contact with police.

The inquiry has heard claims that prosecutors effectively turned a blind eye to some abuse by Catholic priests if they could be assured that the culprit was receiving treatment.

It was not until last year that a shamed headmaster and a teacher at St Ninian’s were jailed for a total of 15 years. John Farrell, 73, and Paul Kelly, 64, were convicted of sexual abuse against six pupils.

Inquiry chairman Lady Smith yesterday suggested that 35 complainers had come forward with allegations about St Ninian’s before that trial, which were looked into by prosecutors.

A submission from the order said it had the ‘deepest regret’ over the abuse.

Also giving evidence yesterday was Brother Brendan Geary, provincial of the Marist Brothers which ran St Joseph’s College in Dumfries and St Columba’s College in Largs, Ayrshire, which both closed in the early 1980s.

He said the order was aware of 24 abuse allegations from 24 former pupils at St Joseph’s and six claims from six victims at St Columba’s. Most claims involved sexual abuse.

Brother Geary said he was ‘saddened and appalled that any Marist Brother ever behaved in that way towards a child’.

In 1998, Norman Bulloch, 46, a former teacher at St Joseph’s, was jailed for eight years for sex offences against two boys.

The inquiry continues.

‘Saddened and appalled’