THE VICTIMS of deviant Christian Brother Robert Best have called for a public inquiry into sex abuse within the Catholic Church after he was jailed for 11 years and three months today.
Stephen Woods outside St Marys Cathedral, Sydney in 2008. Picture: Jess Husband HWT Image Library
Best left a trail of young victims at three schools and police estimate the shocking abuse by him and other Christian Brothers at a Ballarat primary led to 26 suicides.
Outside the County Court a victim, known only as BD, said an inquiry would reveal the scale of the abuse and how it was dealt with by the church.
"An inquiry would be a really healthy thing for the people of Victoria,'' said BD.
"We need to look at the reporting mechanisms in the Catholic Church relating to sex offending and that will only go to stop further offending in the future and also help families who have lost someone.''
BD attended St Alipius primary school in Ballarat and he said there were a number of victims who have never come forward.
The offences for which Best was jailed today occurred at St Leo's Christian Brothers College at Box Hill, St Joseph's College in Geelong and St Alipius primary school at Ballarat where, as the principal, he raped a nine-year-old student.
Best, 70, pleaded guilty in May to 27 sexual assaults of boys at schools he taught at between 1969 and 1988.
Best initially contested the charges, with his defence funded by the Catholic Church.
Sentencing Best in the County Court today, Judge Roy Punshon ordered he serve 11 years and three months in jail before he is eligible for parole.
As he was led from the dock, a woman called out "f---ing arsehole'' while a man yelled at him "you're a dirty f---ing dog''.
Another man said "suck it up'' and a woman called him a maggot as Judge Punshon called for decorum in the courtroom.
Judge Punshon said the offending had caused much misery.
"You have caused a great deal of human damage and misery,'' he told Best.
He said the victim impact statements were "a salutary and powerful reminder of the devastating and long-lasting effect that sexual offending can have''.
Judge Punshon said Best's offending was a grave breach of trust due to his role as a teacher and spiritual guide.
"Because of your power and position of authority, victims who were young and immature commonly felt powerless and unable to complain, either at all or effectively,'' he said.
"Every one of your victims was a vulnerable student.''
Judge Punshon said Best was still a Christian Brother and had not sought to leave the order, nor was he told to do so.
He said Best's prospects of rehabilitation were uncertain and urged him to take part in a program for sexual offenders while in prison.
He has been jailed for a maximum 14 years and nine months.
He has been registered as a serious sexual offender.
Since 1996, six juries have convicted Best of sexual assaults against young boys.
He is already in jail serving four separate terms for indecent assaults against boys at his schools.
Lawyer Dr Vivian Waller, who represents victims, said the Catholic Church and the Christian Brothers need to face up to their responsibility to help people rebuild their lives and also provide compensation.
Ms Waller said that the Christian Brothers stood by Best and paid for his defence in numerous trials and court hearings.
"The Catholic Church and particularly the Christian Brothers, who have stood by Brother Best the entire time, now need to take the next step on the road to recovery for these victims by assisting them with their treatment and by providing them with compensation,'' she said.
Ms Waller acts for 11 victims of Best dealt with in court today and 14 others who allege they were abused at other boys' homes and orphanages across the state.
She said a public inquiry was needed to find out how offenders like Best were able to continue offending even after complaints were made to the Christian Brothers.
''Brother Best deliberately targeted the vulnerable. He did this in the course of his duties in providing pastoral care. He took enormous liberties and took advantage of people who were in a vulnerable position,''’ she said.
Stephen Woods, a victim in one of Best's earlier trials said he went to court today to see his attacker face justice at last.
Mr Woods gave the media permission to use his name and image and he said said Best, the Christian Brothers and the Catholic Church had caused so much pain and hurt over the years.
"Victims need to come forward because the church needs to hear the victims,'' Mr Woods said.
"The Church needs to understand that the pain and the suffering will just not be tolerated. That's why we need an inquiry to show the culpability of the Church and the Christian Brothers over the decades
"They haven't done the right thing by the victims. They haven't done the right thing by people who still belong to the Church. That needs to be dealt with.''
In a statement today, the Christian Brothers today repeated their "sincere and unreserved apology to those students who were abused by Robert Best".
Christian Brothers spokesman Brother Brian Brandon said the Christian Brothers were "deeply saddened by these events, especially by the great distress and suffering caused to these victims and their families".
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced the creation of a national royal commission into institutional responses to instances of child sexual abuse.
The decision was taken at a meeting of federal cabinet this afternoon.
Ms Gillard had been under pressure to act following growing calls for a national inquiry into explosive allegations by a senior New South Wales police investigator that the Catholic Church covered up evidence involving paedophile priests.
A number of senior Labor MPs, as well as key independents, had already voiced their support for action on a national scale.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott also declared his support for a "wide-ranging" royal commission into child sex abuse but said it should not just focus on claims involving the Catholic Church.
Ms Gillard said the Government would take the coming weeks to consult stakeholders before announcing the terms of reference.
The Prime Minister said the commission would look at all religious organisations, state care providers, not-for-profit bodies as well as the responses of child service agencies and the police.
"The allegations that have come to light recently about child sexual abuse have been heartbreaking," Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra.
"There have been too many revelations of adults who have averted their eyes from this evil". Prime Minister Julia Gillard
"These are insidious, evil acts to which no child should be subject.
"Australians know... that too many children have suffered child abuse, but have also seen other adults let them down - they've not only had their trust betrayed by the abuser but other adults who could have acted to assist them have failed to do so.
"There have been too many revelations of adults who have averted their eyes from this evil.
"I believe in these circumstances that it's appropriate for there to be a national response through a royal commission."
Ms Gillard said she would speak with relevant premiers and chief ministers in the coming days to discuss how the royal commission would relate to any similar inquiries proposed or underway.
"Discussions will also take place with victims' groups, religious leaders and community organisations," she said.
"Further announcements, including the proposed commissioner and detailed terms of reference, will be made in coming weeks.
"I commend the victims involved for having the courage to speak out.
"I believe we must do everything we can to make sure that what has happened in the past is never allowed to happen again."
Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell has welcomed the announcement of a royal commission, saying the church will cooperate fully.
"Public opinion remains unconvinced that the Catholic Church has dealt adequately with sexual abuse," he said in a statement.
"Ongoing and at times one-sided media coverage has deepened this uncertainty.
"This is one of the reasons for my support for this royal commission.
"I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement. I believe the air should be cleared and the truth uncovered."
The investigator whose allegations sparked calls for a national inquiry, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, has told the ABC's triple j that the royal commission was what he had been pushing for.
He said he was stunned it had happened so quickly.
"And delighted, absolutely delighted, for all those victims out there because this gives us so much of an opportunity to get things right, to look at recommendations for laws that should be changed to protect kids," he said.
The NSW Government has set up an inquiry in response to the claims raised by Detective Chief Inspector Fox. A separate parliamentary inquiry into church sex abuse is already underway in Victoria.
Chief Inspector Fox today said he was "saddened" by the narrowness of the inquiry set up by NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell in response to his concerns.
"I'm not politically aligned to anyone, and I haven't always been a big fan of Julia Gillard personally, but my God she's had some guts this afternoon, a lot more guts than Barry O'Farrell," Inspector Fox said.
"He was so disappointing and some, thank heavens, have stood up and done the right thing."
Acting Minister for Families, Brendan O'Connor, told the ABC's 7.30 program the Government wants to ensure a broad range of institutions be examined.
"The child sex abuse offences, and indeed allegations of child sex abuse, are not confined to one church," he said.
"They're not confined to one religious organisation.
"Unfortunately, offences against children have occurred to children in state care and indeed, have occurred to children under the care in other religious organisations and of course also not-for-profit organisations.
"It would be very unfair and quite cruel to confine the examination - or the commission's examination to one body."
He added the royal commission decision was "a very significant one".
"This Government is responding I think to the need to ensure that voices are heard by the victims and their families, that claims are properly investigated," he said.
"This Government wants to provide this forum, this process, so that victims get an opportunity to tell their story, to have their story heard.
"Beyond that I think as a government we want to ensure through this vehicle, the royal commission, that institutions that are caring for children are responding properly and adequately to those allegations that have been made.
"Now what we know to date is that has not been the case. We need to do better."
Earlier this afternoon Mr Abbott pledged his support if the Government decided to establish a "wide-ranging" inquiry.
"Wherever abuse has occurred it must be tackled and it must be tackled vigorously, openly and transparently," Mr Abbott said in a statement.
"It's clear that for a long period there was insufficient awareness and insufficient vigilance when it came to predatory behaviour by people in positions of authority over children.
"Any investigation must be wide-ranging, must consider any evidence of the abuse of children in Australia, and should not be limited to the examination of any one institution.
"It must include all organisations, government and non-government, where there is evidence of sexual abuse."
Several Labor MPs had publicly declared their support for a nationally constituted royal commission, with some pushing for terms of reference that would allow it to look beyond the immediate allegations involving the Catholic Church. Call for action
Fellow Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon, whose NSW electorate covers the Hunter Valley, earlier said it had become clear to him that a royal commission would be in the best interests of victims, their families and the church.
"The victims and their families need and deserve an assurance that no crimes or serious breaches of trust and responsibility have gone unpunished and that action has been taken to ensure that no such crimes or breaches can occur in the future," he said in a statement.
"It is clear that only the powers of a royal commission can adequately deliver those assurances.
"The Catholic Church will struggle to rebuild its reputation while ever questions about institutional wrongs are not properly tested." Joel Fitzgibbon
"Further, the Catholic Church will struggle to rebuild its reputation while ever questions about institutional wrongs are not properly tested.
"Worse, the church will remain subject to all kinds of allegations and innuendo unless a formal process is established, and all the church's ongoing good work will pass unnoticed and unappreciated until the allegations are properly dealt with."
Earlier today, independent MP Tony Windsor said he had written to the Prime Minister urging her to take action to deal with the issue on a national scale.
Fellow independent Rob Oakeshott also backed calls for a national royal commission, saying there needed to be an inquiry with coercive powers to get to the bottom of the problem.
"No-one or no entity should be able to hide from the police in the gathering of evidence, particularly in an area that involves sexual abuse and children," Mr Oakeshott told ABC News Online.
"If it's not a national royal commission with wide powers, it would certainly be something of an equivalent such as a special commission of inquiry."
The Greens and independent senator Nick Xenophon have also publicly backed calls for a national royal commission into sexual abuse claims.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
