St Bede’s College investigates historical abuse

The work is looking at what was known historically and how the matters were addressed.

This year, Fr Rowan O’Donoghue SM entered guilty pleas to several charges related to his time at St Bede’s College. In past years, accusations were made against Fr Brian Cummings SM, which the latter strongly denied. Three complaints were made against the now-deceased Fr Cummings, the Society of Mary stated, but police took no action.

St Bede’s has, for many years, had established processes for responding to complaints concerning clergy at the college, rector Josh McDowall said.

“Some of those matters are subject to ongoing legal proceedings, and we are therefore limited in what we can say publicly.

“It is important to me that anyone who may have been impacted feels heard and supported. I have written directly to our Old Boys and publicly extended an open invitation for any person who may have been affected to contact me personally. Concerns raised will be addressed in accordance with school policy.

“Any form of abuse and any failure to address it is simply wrong.”

The Chief Victims Advisor and a survivor called for an independent investigation into the college. Asked for comment on such calls, Mr McDowall said he understood why there were “strong views about how this should be addressed”.

“Trust in this process matters,” he said.

“I was not at the college when these matters arose and had no involvement in the decisions of that period. That allows me to approach this work independently. My highest priority is ensuring we fully understand what occurred, support those impacted, and respond appropriately.”

Mr McDowall said the school today operated with “clear safeguarding expectations, strong oversight and a culture where student wellbeing comes first”.

Anyone who has a concern or complaint about abuse in a Catholic setting is encouraged to contact the Police or the Church’s National Office for Professional Standards on 0800 114 622.

FULL STORY

Independent investigation needed into historical allegations of abuse at St Bede’s College – Chief Victims Advisor | RNZ News (By Sam Sherwood/Radio New Zealand)