Sydney school sex abuse case 'witch hunt'

New Zealand Herald

4:00AM Tuesday Sep 16, 2008

Three former staff members of an exclusive Catholic boarding school pleaded not guilty yesterday to more than 100 charges related to allegations of child sexual abuse at the institution, with their lawyer calling the case a "witch hunt."

Vincentian brother John Gaven, priest Peter Dwyer and former priest Brian Spillane were charged following a police investigation into accusations of abuse in the 1970s and '80s at St Stanislaus' College in Bathurst. The accusers say they were molested and forced to commit sex acts on each other during hypnotic late-night prayer and chanting sessions at the school.

The lawyer for all three men, Greg Walsh, entered not guilty pleas. Outside the court, he said the claims had ballooned into "mass hysteria and moral panic. It's a witch hunt. These men are innocent. The allegations are bizarre and they have arisen in very suspicious circumstances."

Spillane, 65, of Sydney, faces 93 charges relating to alleged sexual assaults against 13 people. He was the only one of the three accused to appear in court.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Walker told the court as many as 40 additional people may lodge complaints against Spillane.

- AP

Not guilty pleas entered over alleged Bathurst child sex crimes

Former St Stanislaus priest Brian Spillane on sex charges

The Daily Telegraph September 03, 2008 12:00am

By Janet Fife-Yeomans

THE former Catholic priest accused of involvement in an alleged child sex ring at an exclusive Bathurst school left Hurstville police station last night after 60 fresh charges were laid involving eight more of his ex pupils.

The young men came forward after their former chaplain and teacher, Brian Spillane, 65, was arrested in May and charged with sexually assaulting another five students.

Priests, teachers 'in padeophile ring'

The St Stanislaus College in Bathurst has been at the centre of a police investigation by Strike Force Heador into claims of sexual abuse by Spillane and two other former staff members over 20 years ago.

Spillane, of Riverwood, who is now married, was yesterday given bail over the new charges involving the eight young men.

Spillane joined the boarding and day school, run by the Vincentians Fathers order, in the 1970s. He left for a time and returned in the mid-1980s, when he was school chaplain for a number of years. He left the school in the early 1990s.

It is alleged the abuse happened during late night charismatic prayer sessions which involved chanting. Last month, he appeared at Bathurst Local Court on 33 charges relating to sexual assault and acts of gross indecency on five former students when they were juveniles aged between 10 and 18.

The court heard at the time that nothing of a criminal nature was known about the former priest.

Spillane's lawyer, Greg Walsh, said he was concerned the fresh charges were laid as the result of a "police trawl."

"These are not complainants who have spontaneously come forward but have made allegations as a result of gross contamination," Mr Walsh said yesterday.

"The real concern here is whether someone such as my client can obtain a fair trial in these circumstances."

He has said the former priest "emphatically" denied the claims.

Police have also spoken to a former St Stanislaus teacher, Stephen Joseph Wade, who served 15 months in jail for his own sex attack on a then Year 7 student in 1986.Spillane is due to face Bathurst Local Court again on September 15.

Former priest faces 60 more child-sex charges

The Age (theage.com.au)

September 3, 2008

An ex-priest has been charged with 60 additional child sex offences stemming from an alleged pedophile ring at a Catholic boy's school in Bathurst.

The 65-year-old was arrested last night and charged with the offences that police allege took place at St Stanislaus' College from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

It is understood the charges relate to a further eight of Spillane's pupils from the school.

Police suspect dozens of boys may have been abused during alleged hypnotic "prayer" sessions at the boarding school in central western NSW.

The names of at least three former staffers of the college appeared on a police search warrant when detectives arrived to the school in July to search its archives.

The ex-priest was charged at Hurstville police station yesterday.

He was previously charged in May with 33 offences stemming from evidence of alleged victims, and now faces a total of 93 charges relating to at least 13 alleged victims.

He was released on bail yesterday and is due to appear at Bathurst Local Court on September 15.

Currently, 615 boys attend St Stanislaus', of which 188 are borders.

St Stanislaus' principal John Edwards said last week he first became aware of the allegations "several years ago" and referred the claims to police.

He said the allegations included claims of late night prayer and chanting sessions in which boys were sexually abused.

Mr Edwards said the school was served with a search warrant on July 3 which stated the names of three former staff members.AAP

'Paedophile ring' charges at Bathurst boys' school

  The Canberra Times 

28/08/2008 12:00:00 AM 

BY VINCENT MORELLO 

For years, Father Brian Spillane presided over a flock of impressionable boys at Bathurst's St Stanislaus College.

Now, police suspect dozens of those boys were abused during hypnotic ''prayer'' sessions.

The top NSW boarding school, in central west NSW, is reeling after 13 former students alleged sexual abuse by staff during the 1970s and early 1980s.

The 65-year-old former priest faces 33 charges after allegations a paedophile ring of priests and staff operated at the school, which has boarders and day students.

He was charged on May 23 with offences relating to sexual assault and gross acts of indecency of boys aged between 10 and 18.

One alleged victim, who finished Year 7 at the college in 1986 before he was expelled, blew the whistle on Spillane's alleged sex offences.

The shocking revelations yesterday prompted one former student to tell his story of abuse at the school in 1971, for which he eventually received an out-of-court settlement.

The man, who asked only to be known as John, said he was sexually abused three times in April 1971. '

'I still remember it,'' John said yesterday .

''I carry that stench on my back ever since the day it happened.

''I was a day boy and I was not the only victim back then.''

In the mid-1990s, he contacted the Vincentian order of priests, which run the school and operate separately from the Bathurst Catholic diocese.

He eventually settled out of court for just over $40,000.

He said criminal proceedings against the priest never went past the committal hearing because of lack of evidence.

Currently, 615 boys attend St Stanislaus, of which 188 are borders.

St Stanislaus's principal John Edwards said he first became aware of the allegations ''several years ago'' and referred the claims to police. '

'The college received some internet material which contained allegations that I think are linked to the ones that are currently taking place,'' he said yesterday.

''Those matters were referred to the police some years ago.''

He said the material included claims of late night prayer and chanting sessions in which boys were sexually abused.

Police have issued scant information but urge other victims of alleged abuse to contact them.  

Detective Superintendent Michael Goodwin would not reveal how many suspects were being investigated, but said none still worked at the school. ''I can confirm that there's no one at the school at the moment that is subject to that inquiry. At this stage, we're looking at 13 victims and we're following up those lines of inquiry at the moment.''

A spokeswoman for the Bathurst diocese would not comment, saying the Vincentian priests operated separately from the diocese.

A spokesman for the Sydney archdiocese said Cardinal George Pell would not comment because Bathurst lay outside his jurisdiction.

Chairman of the National Council of Priests of Australia, Father Ian McGinnity, said care was taken at boarding schools, but sex abuse remained in all parts of society.

''It still doesn't take away the unfortunate reality of human nature. There are people who sometimes have sicknesses in psycho-sexual arenas and that happens whether they're priests or lay people.''

The office of Vincentian priests at Bathurst and their provincial office in Sydney did not comment when contacted. AAP  

Abuse at St Stanislaus College 'involved night orgies'

The Australian Angus Hohenboken | August 28, 2008

ORGIES involving up to 60 schoolboys, priests and teachers are among allegations levelled at former staff members of a NSW Catholic boarding school.

The Seven Network last night reported claims that nine former teachers and priests from St Stanislaus College in Bathurst, in eastern NSW, had committed sexual abuse on students during "hypnotic" night prayer services in the 1980s.

An alleged victim, whose identity was withheld for legal reasons, said the number of victims involved in the encounters had grown over time.

"It started out on a one-on-one basis and then in small groups of between eight and 12, and then on one occasion there was a large group of at least 60."

St Stanislaus headmaster John Edwards yesterday said he was served with a search warrant last month that named three former staff.

"There were three former staff members who were listed on the search warrant, but only one of them had the word 'accused' next to their name," MrEdwards said.

The accused is a 65-year-old former Catholic priest who served at the school and now faces 33 charges relating to sexual assault and gross acts of indecency on juveniles aged between 10 and 18.

Detective Superintendent Michael Goodwin of Chifley Local Area Command yesterday said police were investigating the claims of 13 alleged victims, but he could not say how many former staff members were under investigation.

Police initially identified five victims when the investigations began last August, with a further eight coming forward after the priest was arrested in May. There was no suggestion any of the alleged offenders remained at the school.

"The allegations centre around the period of 1970 to the early 1980s. So, at this stage, all the inquiries are at least over 20 years old," Superintendent Goodwin said.

Some media reports said as many as 40 former students had come forward with claims of abuse at the hands of school staff.

The Daily Telegraph yesterday published interviews with alleged victims that claimed boys at the school were subjected to sexual abuse during night prayer sessions and were sometimes forced to abuse each other in orgies.

"They got a group of between eight and 12 of us together and they'd just start chanting and I would wake up during these sessions and see what was going on," one of the alleged victims said. "It was like an orgy."

Superintendent Goodwin would not comment on claims made in the article, saying it was a "sensitive investigation".

He urged other victims to contact police. "I'd imagine it would be very hard for anyone that's subject to these sort of things to come forward," he said. "

NSW Police Force will be providing every form of support we possibly can to make the process for them as trouble-free as possible."

Hetty Johnston, of the Bravehearts sexual abuse victims support group, supported the plea.

Additional reporting: AAP 

VICTIMS of an alleged pedophile ring at a Catholic boys' school in New South Wales have been urged by police to come forward.

Adelaide Now

27 August 2008

Shocking allegations have surfaced about years of sex abuse at St Stanislaus' College, Bathurst, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

At least 13 alleged victims have come forward since local police were first alerted last year by men claiming to have been abused while they were students at the private school in the state's central west.

A 65-year-old former priest is now facing 33 charges, following allegations a pedophile ring of priests and teachers had operated at the school.

Police have released scant information but have asked anyone else who fell victim to the alleged abuse to contact police.

"I would imagine it would be very hard for anyone subject to these sort of things to come forward," Detective Superintendent Michael Goodwin told reporters in Sydney.

"All I can say is that NSW police force will be providing every form of support we possibly can to make the process for them as trouble-free as possible.

Supt Goodwin would not reveal how many suspects are being investigated but said police inquiries had not led officers to any other schools where former St Stanislaus' staff may have also been employed.

"All of the lines of inquiry that have been presented to us have been explored and are being investigated," he said.

"There's no loose ends being let go at this stage."

"I can confirm that there's no one at the school at the moment that is subject to that inquiry."

On May 23, the former priest was charged with offences relating to sexual assault and gross acts of indecency of boys aged between 10 and 18 years old.

"At this stage we're looking at 13 victims and we're following up those lines of inquiry at the moment," Supt Goodwin said.

St Stanislaus' principal John Edwards said he had been served with a search warrant last month which listed the names of three former staff members.

"There were three former staff member who were listed on the search warrant that was served on me in early July, and we facilitated the gathering of material for police," Mr Edwards told Fairfax Radio Network today.

"I'm not able to comment any further."

Mr Edwards also said he first became aware of the allegations "several years ago" when, he said, he referred the claims to police.

"The college received some internet material which contained allegations that I think are linked to the ones that are currently taking place," he said.

"Those matters were referred to the police some years ago."

He said the material included claims of late night prayer and chanting sessions in which boys were sexually abused.

"Those circumstances where people have betrayed trust, it is a matter of grave concern and shame, and it needs to be addressed comprehensively in order to protect children in the future," Mr Edwards said.

"I can assure parents that this school is committed to the most thorough child protection measures, that we have been implementing for some considerable period of time.

"We work closely with authorities in the area of child protection, we are committed to protecting children wherever we can."

Supt Goodwin would not specify how many suspects are being investigated or reveal their whereabouts.

"We're pursuing those lines of inquiry and to anticipate when charges will be laid at this stage is a little bit presumptuous," he said.

Priest chanted in tongues - victim

In his first interview, a young man who used the internet to expose the abuse revealed the full extent of the horror at the school. He is one of two victims who have told The Daily Telegraph how they were herded into a prayer room by a priest chanting "hypnotic" spells in tongues.

Inside the prayer room, the boarders who attended the school in the 1980s said they were subjected to horrendous sexual abuse or forced to assault each other.

St Stanislaus has enjoyed a reputation for sporting excellence and tutoring future representatives of Australia.

A former boarder now aged 35, who cannot be identified because of a court suppression order, started at St Stanislaus in the '80s because it was the only private school in the area his family could afford.

He alleged the abuse began after a priest took him aside for private tutoring about the Catholic Church and God two months after he arrived at the school and the horror turned into a twice-weekly event.

"They got a group between eight and 12 of us together and they'd just start chanting and I would wake up during these sessions and see what was going on," he said.

"It was like an orgy."

The second victim, who declined to give permission to be named, yesterday described the horrific night-time prayer sessions in the staff's quarters under candle light.

"You'd pass out ... they spoke in tongues ... another element was called laying on hands, that was the basis on which he would engage in physical contact," the victim said.

He said the students were all small in stature and many of them emotionally troubled.

"I know of people who have been contacted, they said, 'Yes, you're right but I haven't told my wife what happened to me I'm not going to tell you guys (police)," he said.

Police last night confirmed 13 alleged victims had already come forward.

Principal John Edwards said yesterday the school viewed any allegation of sexual misconduct with "grave concern" and had been working with the police.

For legal reasons, AdelaideNow cannot publish comments on this story

Abuse alleged at St Stanislaus College

CN Cath News http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=8696

Published: August 27, 2008

Up to 40 past students have alleged that they were sexually abused by staff at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst in central New South Wales, reports say.

News Limited papers report it is understood NSW Police are investigating the allegations but police media would not confirm the service's involvement last night or comment on Channel Seven's report.

A case involving the alleged abuse of five former students in 1986 is in the courts pending a full brief from the Department of Public Prosecutions.

The headmaster of the school, John Edwards, said he had not been informed by authorities of any further investigation beyond the case.

He believed he would have been informed by authorities if there was any investigation involving current students.

"I have not been informed of any subsequent allegations by a proper authority," he told the Herald.

"We view allegations of any sexual misconduct towards children with grave concern. We are concerned for the wellbeing of any child, whether they now be adult or not, who may have been subject to abuse.

"We strongly support the process of thoroughly investigating allegations of sexual misconduct towards children."

A prestigious day and boarding school for boys, St Stanislaus was founded in 1867.

A priest who worked at the school in the 1970's was charged in 1994 over alleged sexual abuse of two students.

The priest was acquitted of all charges but the Vincentian order, which runs the school, made a cash payment of about $40,000 to one of the students.

Bishop Michael Malone, who later employed the priest in the diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, said: "I understand the reason for that was that the Vincentians could have fought the matter in civil court and it would have been very costly with regard to legal costs to them even if they had won, unless costs were awarded against the alleged victim."

The Daily Telegraph quotes a former boarder now aged 35, who cannot be identified because of a court suppression order, as alleging the abuse began after a priest took him aside for private tutoring about the Catholic Church and God two months after he arrived at the school and the horror turned into a twice weekly event.

"They got a group between eight and 12 of us together and they'd just start chanting and I would wake up during these sessions and see what was going on," he said.

"It was like an orgy."

The second victim, who declined to give permission to be named, described the horrific night time prayer sessions in the staff's quarters under candle light.

"You'd pass out . . . they spoke in tongues . . . another element was called laying on hands, that was the basis he would engage in physical contact," the victim said.