Man sues Christian Brothers over allegations of ‘extensive’ historical sex abuse, rape at St Joseph’s Nudgee College

A man is suing the organisation behind one of Brisbane’s top private schools over allegations of historic sexual abuse and rape that lawyers say “ruined his life”.

Joseph's Nudgee College in Brisbane’s north. Picture: Glenn Hunt / The Australian

A man is pursuing legal action against the Christian Brothers over alleged “extensive” historical sexual abuse that occurred when he was a student at prestigious St Joseph’s Nudgee College.

The Brisbane man claims he was molested and then raped in the 1990s at the Catholic boys’ school in Boondall.

Camille Capati, a senior associate with Wyatts Compensation Lawyers, said the alleged abuse “initially started with molestation and escalated to rape”.

“His (alleged) abuse is quite extensive, and I would say it has ruined his life,” Ms Capati said.

She said her client was aged 14 when the alleged abuse began but he only recently “felt strong enough to come forward”.

Wyatts has been working on the case since 2022 and Ms Capati said her client was pursuing a civil claim against the Trustees of the Christian Brothers Oceania Province.

In a statement to The Courier-Mail, the Christian Brothers Oceania Province said: “As this is a civil matter before the court, we do not comment publicly on any detail.

“Any matter brought forward under a civil claim will be managed in line with the established judicial process.

“The Christian Brothers urge any person making any criminal allegation – no matter how long ago it may have occurred – to refer that to their local police so that a proper investigation can take place.

“Separately to the above matter, the Christian Brothers continue to openly acknowledge that some children have been harmed at our facilities and we reiterate our apology to them for what occurred and the impact of that”.

St Joseph’s College Nudgee is one of Brisbane’s top schools. Picture: Glenn Hunt / The Australian

Nudgee College was also contacted for comment.

In July 2021, The Courier-Mail revealed a former student who claimed he was sexually abused at Nudgee College in the 1970s was pursuing legal action through Maurice Blackburn.

The man, in his 60s, believed he was not the only child molested during that time, prompting his lawyers to place an advertisement in The Courier-Mail, asking for help from people who attended Nudgee between 1970 and 1976.

A Maurice Blackburn spokesperson told The Courier-Mail this week the case had “now been resolved – thankfully for the client”.

In May 2021, 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 alleged abusers of children aged 8 to 12.

Nudgee Junior, in Indooroopilly, was a feeder school for the senior school and is now called Ambrose Treacy College.

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.