Parents angered by delay into inquiry of paedophile Gerart Vincent Byrnes

    * April 16, 2010 12:45AM

PARENTS of children raped by confessed paedophile Gerard Vincent Byrnes have expressed outrage the Catholic Church has only now launched an internal inquiry to trace more possible victims at six other schools where he taught during almost 40 years.

More than a year after Byrnes' arrest and confession to abusing young girls at a Toowoomba primary school, Catholic Education yesterday said it was examining the files at six schools he taught at in Sydney and Queensland.

The probe follows revelations that Queensland Police issued a warning in December 2008 that they expected "more historical complainants" would emerge from his 39-year career with Catholic Education, after his identity was made public with his guilty plea this week.

On Wednesday, Byrnes, a 61-year-old former Christian Brother, admitted to 44 sex abuse charges involving former students at a Toowoomba primary school, where he was the child protection officer. Among them were 10 counts of raping a child younger than 12.

Toowoomba Bishop William Morris said on Wednesday -- after being asked by The Australian if he had informed the other schools of Byrnes' arrest -- that it was "his intention" to contact his counterparts in the three relevant diocese "in relation to this matter".

The delay follows last year's charging of the principal of the Toowoomba primary school, where Byrnes committed the offences, for failing to report to police a complaint he received from one of the first victims about the abuse.

Police launched the investigation into the school's handling of the case after a series of reports by The Australian revealed the principal had failed to act on the complaint in September 2007, before Byrnes went on to rape other girls.

A father of one victim said yesterday he was disgusted the Catholic Church had only now launched an internal inquiry as to whether there had been any earlier suspicions about Byrnes.

"I think they are afraid of what they might find," he said.

"I don't think this guy started abusing children in 2007, and nor do the police."

Queensland's Catholic Education executive director Mike Byrne said yesterday a decision was taken to wait for Byrnes' expected guilty plea before acting.

"Following the guilty plea and public naming of Gerard Byrnes, the three relevant Queensland Catholic School authorities are examining files associated with his period of employment at schools in these diocese prior to 2001," Mr Byrne said.

"The directors have also indicated they will write
to the school communities this week to inform them of the outcome of their examination of the files."


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