Abuse Law – Institutions – St Alipius Parish School, Victoria

St Alipius Parish School is notoriously known to have a dark history of abuse of children.

In May 2015, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, a royal commission of inquiry initiated in 2013, began an investigation into the response of relevant Catholic Church authorities to the impact of child sexual abuse on survivors of child sexual abuse, their families and the community of Ballarat. The hearing heard about the impact of child sexual abuse on the community of Ballarat from residents and from former students of St Alipius Parish School, amongst other Catholic Church schools in Ballarat. Catholic clergy who had been convicted of child sexual offences that took place in the schools within the Diocese were also invited to speak or make statements before the Royal Commission. During the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Ballarat, it was found that 853 children, average age 13, had been sexually abused by one or more Christian Brothers and that at least 30 victims had since committed suicide in Ballarat. Child abuse complaints were made against 281 Christian Brothers, and the Congregation had paid $37.3 million in compensation at that point in time. One particular victim of abuse held a photo to the Royal Commission of a class from St Alipius Parish School and stated that 12 of the 33 boys had committed suicide because of abuse. It was found that Christian Brothers’ St Alipius Parish School was staffed almost entirely by paedophiles. It was further reported to the Royal Commission that in 1971, all male teachers and the chaplain at St Alipius Parish School were abusing boys at the school. Christian Brothers Gerald Leo Fitzgerald, Edward Dolan, Robert Best and notorious paedophile, Gerard Risdale, were all identified as perpetrators of abuse at St Alipius Parish School.

One of the most shocking revelations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is that Christian Brothers who were accused of abuse were systemically moved to different schools, rather than punished or reported to police. This collective failure of the Christian Brothers undoubtedly lead to the continuation of abuse in numerous locations, abuse that potentially could have been prevented.

Mr Stephen Frances Farrell, a Christian Brother, was sentenced in 2013 for indecently assaulting a boy whilst he was teaching at St Alipius Parish School in the mid-1970s. This conviction followed a 1997 conviction on nine charges of indecently assaulting two Brothers at St Alipius Parish School around the same period.

We are specialist abuse lawyers and can help you receive acknowledgement, meaningful apology and financial resolution from those institutions and systems of power that failed to protect you from harm. If you would like advice in relation to a childhood or adult sexual, physical and/or psychological/emotional abuse claim in any jurisdiction in Australia, please reach out to Littles Lawyers today. 

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