Marist College involved in further alleged abuse claims

Dear Jason P

Do you have any interest in the victims of violent physical beatings by teachers at Marist College from the late 1970s to the late 1990s?

PS: The book that Frank O’Shea is putting out is the “school sponsored” verion of what life at marist is really like. If anyone writes the “Real Lifes of Marist” story, I will help finance the publication!

berraboy68: suggest you or someone else to tell Jason Parkinson to contact all ex-members of the Marist Film and Photography clubs. Jason should also look into files of those film club members that made complaints to Br. Chris Wade and Br. Michael Green in early 1990’s.

you should also work out how to get this treat back onto the front page. Lots more to come on this one!

Just like the bullies at the school, John Chute was able to get away with it because the school and the order (religious) knew about it and did nothing about it and let it carry on for decades. I want to see all of those that should have stopped it put under the same heat lamp as those that carried out the crimes.

I am the solicitor acting for a large number of victims of child sexual abuse perpetrated by brothers and teachers at Marist and Daramalan Colleges from the late 1970’s to the late 1990’s.

I’d like any information that can be given by any victims, or parents of victims, who advised any teachers or headmasters about child sexual abuse occurring at Marist and Daramalan.

Any information will be treated confidentially, and will greatly assist all the victims.

Thank you.
Jason Parkinson
Porters Lawyers

Followup:

Formally arrested, charged, and appearing in court this aafternoon (17Jan08).

I was a student at Marist in the early 90s and had Kostka as a homeroom teacher (I was in Mark House). Though I never had any problem with him, nor new of anybody who did, I remember he suddenly disappeared with no explanation given. Interesting how all this stuff comes out in the wash so many years later.

I went to Marist. Was not touched… beaten yes as was the style at the time, but missed the dodgy stuff. I’m sure it happens at a lot of schools. Catholic schools just seem to stick out more as its more dramatic. It was a good school. Although I did get the “some teachers like to touch boys” talk from my parents before the sex talk. That’s wak.

I was at Marist for 6 yrs in the 80’s. Kostka was a dog and someone that other kids lucky enough to have older friends at the school were warned to avoid. Sure 95% of staff were brilliant (including many Brothers) but the other 5% should be lined up and shot. They were either bully’s who had little in life other than threatening little kids or, as now know, are pedophiles. My question is why was the Marist retirement home in Mittagong refusing to talk about this when asked in July and why were some people in authority told Kostka died 3 years ago??? Sounds like a cover up to me…

As an ex-student of Marist in the original graduating class of 1975 it saddens me deeply to read this news. I thanfully never experienced this misfortune but have vague recollections of rumours that would pop up from time to time over the years about this person. The teachers in my era were an outstanding bunch of talented people who gave so much of themselves.

If these allegations are true then what a horrendous breach of trust that was given by our parents to these men this is.

I do too OpenYourMind2. And that’s was my point. He took his life and happened to be taught under a priest in question.

Of course suicides are (ironically) a fact of life tickboom. But if you can pinpoint an event that would have had a profound effect on their mental health, then it would certainly answer some questions.

I know somebody affected. It went on in the 80s and had a profound affect on the victims from that era.

shut the bloody place down.

dblank – i went to marist and never experienced any of that! The only thing i did notice was the rugby players got extra attention than the non-players. Bullying happens at every school! Public/private/same sex/coed, it happens everywhere. Difference is (from experience) if you went upto the teachers at Marist regarding bullying, they ALWAYS acted on it.

Thats pretty much everyone’s reaction to news of abuse by a person or persons in positions of trust.

If I ever met a friends biological dad (as opposed to her stepfather, who is a lovely man) it would be hard to hold back trying to beat the living shite out of him for the traumas he caused.

I would imagine that as part of the arrest\investigation there would be a certain degree of protective custody around the Brother now that he has been named. So hopefully in time, an appropriate amount of justice is served.

I was shocked, dismayed and angered when I first learned that classmates and people I knew had been subjected to this horror. I still consider myself extremely lucky not to have been directly affected, and I am glad that there is a chance for justice for the victims.

Bullying is taken -very- seriously, from reports of people who work there currently and a student who was a victim.

But not just in response to the Benjamin Cox case, they took it pretty seriously when I was there also.

PS: Not part of any Marist Defence Force.

attend Marist College during the period these two teachers were present. Thankfully I was not a recipient of their “attentions”. However, I will say that I found my time at Marist to be an extremely distressing and traumatic experience.If you were different and didnt fit in you were bullied mercilessly, and the teachers and brothers didnt seem to be concerned about this at all. I wonder if the culture at Marist has changed at all? My Nephew attends school there, and this is a fact that I have never really been comfortable with.

Their parents may need answers, but as there are 1300 students at Marist in any given year (on current numbers), you’d only note any significant anomaly in Marist lifetime rates of suicide against a backdrop of the general male population of the same birth period, as suicide is going to be experienced in any large enough sample group.

Still, an inquiry may reveal and address certain problems that a PR company-managed damage control would otherwise ignore\deny\risk-manage into oblivion.

But whatever the result is, its not going to be pretty.

So some boys who went to Marist during a period of 30 years have taken their own lives? Let’s say 100 students in a year group, so that’s 3000 (at least). So what you’re saying is that in a group of 3000 school students, some have attempted to take their own lives, or succeeded? There’s a shock.

Not to take away from the seriousness of what is being alleged here, but Sands, you just need to bear in mind that suicide is tragically a fact of life, and within 30 years I’d say a school would be bound to experience many attempts among its alumni – whether or not these incidents and allegations had taken place.

I’ve heard that some boys who went to Marist during the time in question have tragically attempted to take – or have successfully taken – their own lives. It breaks my heart to think this could have something to do with it. The parents need answers.

“It’s a pity that the Headmaster at Daramarlan doesn’t seem to share Mr Sidorko’s desire to assist in an enquiry. That school appears to prefer damage control to an honesty and open investigation.”

When I went there, I remember a teacher was quietly let go (with no explanation given), and the rumour was that a student had put in a complaint like this. It was definitely a “sweep under the rug” topic…

It’s not just the large compensation cases, its the fake cases that will follow. Or other students who studied there while the teachers where there who will try to get money for “i could have been and the school didn’t protect me”.

yeah, this is going to be MASSIVE .. largest compensation case of student abuse in history… it’s been in the works for two years …

It’s a pity that the Headmaster at Daramarlan doesn’t seem to share Mr Sidorko’s desire to assist in an enquiry. That school appears to prefer damage control to an honesty and open investigation.

As a student of the college through the 80’s, I had classmates in both the primary and secondary school who claimed to have been assaulted. A friends parents approached the school at the time with allegations and were bluntly dismissed. This will not be the end of the allegations – I personally believe there is at least one more teacher who has not been mentioned.