A 49-year old man, who was abused at the hands of three Marist Brothers when he was eleven years old and attending school, has openly criticized the “Towards Healing” mediation process that the Church has created as a way of dealing with the seemingly endless accusations of abuse against its priests and other members.

The victim, identified only as “DK,” attended St. Augustine's Marist College in Cairns as a border, where he claims the abuse occurred.  One of the brothers he accused is currently in jail for unrelated abuse charges.  DK kept silent for more than two decades and finally decided to speak up when his own children were ready to enter school.  The church arranged for a “Towards Healing” mediation process with DK, which resulted in a settlement.

DK later discovered that the “independent mediator” assigned to the mediation process was, in fact, employed by the church.  He now states that this makes him suspect of the mediation process and feel like he has been abused a second time.  DK related these events and feelings to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which is holding hearings on the alleged abuse at St. Augustine’s and other schools.

The Church has admitted that having an employee handle mediation was against its own internal rules, but claims that DK was informed of the relationship verbally.