Christian Brothers's financial collapse has reopened old wounds for abuse survivors
The Christian Brothers religious order is facing a financial collapse, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation owed to survivors of historic sexual abuse. While the order initially struggled to fund these payments, Edmund Rice Education Australia has stepped in to assume the liabilities following public pressure.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing struggle for justice and financial accountability for victims of institutional abuse within the Catholic Church.
Christian Brothers's financial collapse has reopened old wounds for abuse survivors By Angelique Donnellan
Link copied Share Share article James Peat and Chris Thorpe carried their pain for decades. Pain borne from alleged sexual abuse when they were children at schools run by Christian Brothers.
Warning: This story contains details of abuse that readers may find disturbing.
The pair, who are both seeking compensation, said they felt like they had been abused all over again, when their cases were put on hold earlier this month after the Catholic order announced it was going broke.
Victims of historic abuse are estimated to be owed around $774 million.
"I can't sleep at night and I've done nothing wrong," Mr Peat said.
James Peat says he was sexually assaulted between 1989 and 1991 at St Michael's Regional High School. ( ABC News: Carl Saville )
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