Australia 1961 to 1996: Marist Brothers Chute and Sutton abused pupils; superiors knew of admissions, made Chute a principal and disguised Sutton's file under a false name

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

1. Brother Chute was convicted in 2008 of 19 child sex offences against six former pupils from 1985 to 1989; he pleaded guilty. Brother Gregory Sutton was arrested in Missouri in 1995, extradited and on 2 August 1996 pleaded guilty to 67 child sex offences against 15 pupils in New South Wales; in total 27 former pupils accused him.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 5

   „Brother Chute was convicted in 2008 of 19 child sex offences against six of his former students during the period 1985 to 1989. He pleaded guilty.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 10

   „On 2 August 1996, Brother Sutton pleaded guilty to a total of 67 child sex offences in relation to 15 students at schools in New South Wales“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 10

   „In total, Brother Sutton has been the subject of allegations of child sexual abuse by 27 of his former students.“

How were they charged and sentenced?

1. In 1962 a teacher and the community superior at Bondi knew that Brother Chute had admitted abusing a child; they did not report it to the Provincial, and there was neither a note nor any follow-up. In 1969 the Provincial Council gave Chute a canonical warning for an admission at Lismore, but knowing this transferred him to Marist College Penshurst and made him principal there; afterwards he held further positions of responsibility in schools. When a boy reported in 1986 that Chute had touched him in the dark during a film night, the Provincial did nothing despite what he knew and, according to the commission, thereby put more children at risk.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 6

   „knew that Brother Chute had admitted to sexually abusing a child at St Anne’s Primary School in Bondi“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 6

   „No note was made of the complaint and there was no follow-up with Brother Chute.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 6

   „transferred Brother Chute from Lismore to Marist College Penshurst and made him the principal in the knowledge that Brother Chute had admitted to inappropriately touching a child“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „With that knowledge, the Provincial did nothing about this complaint.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „By not taking this opportunity, the Provincial put more children at risk of being sexually abused by Brother Chute.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „Brother Turton minimised the sexual aspect of Brother Chute’s conduct“

What happened to those affected?

1. In 1989 a principal learned that Sutton had admitted to interfering with a boy who had taken his own life. Neither he nor the Provincial informed the police; the dead boy's father did not want this. Apart from therapy in Canada there was no disciplinary action. An internal paper of 1989 on Sutton's career and the allegations called him "Frater Bartholomew"; according to the commission, the false name served to hide from a reader that it concerned Sutton and hid the order's knowledge of the allegations.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 10

   „ADO had committed suicide.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 11

   „Neither the then Provincial, Brother Turton, nor Brother Holdsworth informed the police of the admission in 1989.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 11

   „no disciplinary action was taken against Brother Sutton over his admission to sexually abusing ADO“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 11

   „Confidential information regarding Frater Bartholomew“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 11

   „It is clear to us that the effect of using a name other than the Brother to whom the contents related was to hide from a reader that it concerned Brother Sutton.“