Abuse claim levelled at prestigious Catholic boys’ school St Joseph’s Nudgee College

A former student of St Joseph’s Nudgee College is pursuing legal action against the school, claiming he was sexually abused during his time there.

Maurice Blackburn is already investigating allegations of physical and sexual abuse that occurred at Nudgee Junior College (now Ambrose Treacy College).

A former student who claims he was sexually abused at St Joseph’s Nudgee College is pursuing legal action against the prestigious Catholic boys’ school as more alleged victims are expected to come forward.

The man, who is in his 60s, believes he was not the only child molested during the 1970s.

His lawyer Jed McNamara, special counsel at Maurice Blackburn, said the man had suffered ongoing trauma following the alleged abuse.

“Sadly, like many survivors of abuse, our client has experienced many difficulties throughout his life. He has no family of his own, has never had any meaningful relationships, and has had a sporadic working life,” Mr McNamara said.

Maurice Blackburn, which has placed an advertisement to run in The Courier-Mail on July 30, is asking for help from people who attended Nudgee between 1970 and 1976.

The firm is already investigating allegations of physical and sexual abuse that occurred at the affiliated Nudgee Junior College (now Ambrose Treacy College).

St. Joseph's Nudgee College. Photo: Glenn Hunt

“We remain concerned there was a culture at these schools that allowed abuse to occur, without ramifications for the alleged perpetrators,” Mr McNamara said.

David Johnston, acting principal of St Joseph’s Nudgee College, said he deeply empathised with anyone who had experienced harm during their time at the school.

“It is with great compassion that I encourage and support any former student to come forward if they were in any way harmed while attending Nudgee College,” Mr Johnston said.

“The college actively promotes the safeguarding and protection of children. It is our absolute priority in all that we do.”

Until 2007, Nudgee College and Nudgee Junior were run by the Christian Brothers.

A spokesperson for the Christian Brothers Oceania Province said: “We openly and readily acknowledge that some experienced abuse in our facilities and our enduring and unreserved apology for what has occurred is a matter of public record.

“The Christian Brothers do not comment publicly on any matter which may be the subject of civil litigation or any legal proceeding.

Maurice Blackburn ad calling for people who attended Nudgee College to come forward amid an allegation of historical child sex abuse. Photo: supplied

“We encourage any person who may have experienced abuse in any of our facilities to come forward and we strongly urge any person with any evidence of criminal conduct to report that to the police for investigation.”

In May, The Courier-Mail reported that more than 20 former students of Nudgee Junior had come forward with allegations of sexual or physical abuse while at the primary school between 1965 and 1985.

Former principals Brother Michael Carthage Proctor and Brother John Regan were identified as the chief alleged abusers of children aged 8 to 12.

In 2007, the Christian Brothers handed governance of its 50-plus schools to Edmund Rice Education Australia, which now runs nine schools in Queensland, including St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace, St Laurence’s, St James and St Patrick’s in Brisbane.