In
The Sydney Morning Herald
Author
Bibby, Paul; Callinan, Rory; Van Beynen, Martin
Publication Date
26 November 2012
URL
Description
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A former Catholic brother charged five months ago with hundreds of counts of sexual abuse against children and young adults is living on a tea plantation in Sri Lanka because the authorities dragged their feet in extraditing him to Australia.
Bernard Kevin McGrath, who is among the most infamous members of the disgraced St John of God order, had 252 charges laid against him in a Newcastle court on June 27.
The 65-year-old, who recently served two years in a New Zealand prison for abusing young boys, is alleged to have repeatedly raped, molested and abused dozens of young boys at church-run institutions in the Newcastle-Maitland diocese during the late 1970s and '80s.
It is understood that a number of the charges relate to McGrath's time as a brother at the notorious Kendall Grange College in Morrisset.