By University of Newcastle
The podcast currently has 9 episodes available.
Elizabeth was born in post-war Europe and migrated to Australia when she was very young. The family lived in Nelson Bay and she grew up in a large conservative Catholic family. As a very bright young girl, Elizabeth went to a Catholic boarding school, studied hard and went to University on a scholarship. At 17, studying social work in Sydney, Elizabeth encountered a wider world for which she felt under prepared and confusing. Back in Newcastle, she reached out to Fr Terry Silvester, chaplain to YCW for advice, where she was sexually assaulted. Later in Sydney, she was sexually assaulted by another priest whom she again reached out to for help. From these events, Elizabeth suffered significant trauma and confusion, which she has been dealing with and recovering from for many years. Elizabeth enjoyed a successful professional career as a social worker but her personal life was one of great difficulty and pain. It was 30 years before she felt safe enough to disclose her story. Her courage to face the truth of what happened to her in her adolescence comes through clearly in this remarkable interview.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
Paul G is a survivor of complex and early organised child sexual abuse both within his family and in the Anglican church and is what he calls a ‘late rememberer’. Paul describes the debilitating physical and mental impacts of early and ongoing organised child sexual abuse and the tragic outcomes for himself, his siblings and family. His struggle to work out what happened to him has led him to numerous healing modalities that have helped Paul to heal from such deep damage. Paul describes the compound trauma that child sexual abuse caused and recounts his experience with the Royal Commission giving evidence at case study 42 on the Anglican Church in Newcastle in 2016. In particular, his physical and sexual abuse by serial paedophile Anglican priest Peter Rushton during his childhood was devastating. Paul’s courage in speaking about what happened to him, and his determination and perseverance in restoring his self-worth and mental health and recovering his memory, shines through in this remarkable interview.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
Sharon grew up and attended Catholic schools in Newcastle and her family was involved in the local Catholic parish. In this podcast Sharon tells her story about growing up in a Catholic community, and her abuse as a teenager by a Catholic school teacher and principal at a small girl’s Catholic school San Clemente in Mayfield, and the impacts that this has had on her life. Sharon reflects on the ways in which her experiences during this time affected her deeply and how she was unable to complete her education. She says ‘my innocence went, and I was forced to deal with an adult environment as a teenager’. Her relationships were damaged and she felt disconnected from her friends and family. Her adult life has been one of continually having to deal with the ongoing outcomes of the original abuse. Sharon demonstrates her resilience in coming to terms with what happened to her and her courage in speaking to continue her healing process and help others who have suffered similar experiences.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
Paul P grew up in Newcastle in a strong and loyal Catholic family who experienced financial and emotional difficulties in Paul’s early years. By age 11 he and his twin brother John were repeatedly abused by the local Catholic priest Peter Brock, who had become a close family friend, regularly taking the boys away on holidays and staying overnight. Paul describes very clearly the grooming techniques of Peter Brock and the way that music played a key element in keeping the abusive relationship close and secret. His friendship with the family caused on-going confusion for Paul for many years. Despite the challenges of his childhood, Paul became a successful musician and music teacher for many years until he became unwell as the abuse caught up with his mental health. His powerful story demonstrates his resilience and determination in coming to terms with what happened to him as a child and teenager and his ongoing commitment to dealing with the outcomes of sexual abuse as a child.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
Paul G is a survivor of complex and early organised child sexual abuse both within his family and in the Anglican church and is what he calls a ‘late rememberer’. Paul describes the debilitating physical and mental impacts of early and ongoing organised child sexual abuse and the tragic outcomes for himself, his siblings and family. His struggle to work out what happened to him has led him to numerous healing modalities that have helped Paul to heal from such deep damage. Paul describes the compound trauma that child sexual abuse caused and recounts his experience with the Royal Commission giving evidence at case study 42 on the Anglican Church in Newcastle in 2016. In particular, his physical and sexual abuse by serial paedophile Anglican priest Peter Rushton during his childhood was devastating. Paul’s courage in speaking about what happened to him, and his determination and perseverance in restoring his self-worth and mental health and recovering his memory, shines through in this remarkable interview.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
Scott grew up in Newcastle and attended St Joseph’s primary school at The Junction, an inner-city suburb of Newcastle. In the 1970s as a bright but socially disadvantaged nine year old, he became an altar boy at St Joseph’s parish and came under the influence of Vincent Ryan, a notorious paedophile priest whose sexual abuse of children was known by the local bishop and some teachers and yet who continued to work across parishes and schools in the area for over twenty years before his arrest in 1995. Scott documents the personal challenges that continued into his adult life, and in 1995 after attending a funeral of a school friend, Scott decided to report his abuse to the police. Together with his friend, Gerard McDonald who was also abused by Ryan, they began to consider that the suicide deaths of classmates were possibly related to the sexual abuse of children in Newcastle Catholic schools. Scott went to court but was shattered when Ryan received such short sentences for the sexual abuse of children. Scott gave evidence at the Royal Commission in case study 43 and he and his wife Wendy remain committed to speaking out about the continuing injustices that victims experience in dealing with the Church in seeking justice.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
CQT is a survivor of sexual abuse as a teenager at Marist Brothers high school in Hamilton, an inner-city suburb of Newcastle, in the 1970s. CQT grew up in a devout Catholic family and at a young age became an altar boy. His younger brother died following child sexual abuse at the same school by a predatory Marist brother. CQT discusses the impact of his brother’s death and his own abuse on his life and talks clearly about the institutional criminality of the school and parish system as he attempted to seek justice. CQT talks about the work that he did with the Royal Commission in attempting to bring to light the system-wide sexual abuse of children in Marist schools in the Newcastle area between the 1970s-1990s. Importantly, he identifies some of the ways in which teachers and parents who knew about the sexual abuse of children were silenced by their fear of what would happen if they spoke out, and how currently the Newcastle diocese struggles ‘to own its own history’ and questions why people should continue to trust the Catholic Church.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
Sharon grew up and attended Catholic schools in Newcastle and her family was involved in the local Catholic parish. In this podcast Sharon tells her story about growing up in a Catholic community, and her abuse as a teenager by a Catholic school teacher and principal at a small girl’s Catholic school San Clemente in Mayfield, and the impacts that this has had on her life. Sharon reflects on the ways in which her experiences during this time affected her deeply and how she was unable to complete her education. She says ‘my innocence went, and I was forced to deal with an adult environment as a teenager’. Her relationships were damaged and she felt disconnected from her friends and family. Her adult life has been one of continually having to deal with the ongoing outcomes of the original abuse. Sharon demonstrates her resilience in coming to terms with what happened to her and her courage in speaking to continue her healing process and help others who have suffered similar experiences.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
Paul P grew up in Newcastle in a strong and loyal Catholic family who experienced financial and emotional difficulties in Paul’s early years. By age 11 he and his twin brother John were repeatedly abused by the local Catholic priest Peter Brock, who had become a close family friend, regularly taking the boys away on holidays and staying overnight. Paul describes very clearly the grooming techniques of Peter Brock and the way that music played a key element in keeping the abusive relationship close and secret. His friendship with the family caused on-going confusion for Paul for many years. Despite the challenges of his childhood, Paul became a successful musician and music teacher for many years until he became unwell as the abuse caught up with his mental health. His powerful story demonstrates his resilience and determination in coming to terms with what happened to him as a child and teenager and his ongoing commitment to dealing with the outcomes of sexual abuse as a child.
Content warning and Ethics
The content in the following interviews contains distressing accounts of childhood sexual abuse. If you experience distress, please reach out for help:
1800 RESPECT: 24 hour phone support 1800 737732
LIFELINE: 24 hour phone support 13 11 14
BLUEKNOT Help Line: 9am-5pm phone support 1300 657 380
KIDS HELPLINE: 24 hour phone support 1800 551 800
RAPE CRISIS CENTRE 24 hour phone support 1800 424 017
The Survivor Story Project is funded by the Marist Brothers Australia in conjunction with its aim to engage in restorative justice processes for survivors of child sexual abuse in Marist schools in Australia. The Survivor Story Project has ethics approval from the University of Newcastle Australia, ethics approval reference number: H-2019-0195
The names of the participating survivors are their own except for CQT who opted to use a pseudonym.
The podcast currently has 9 episodes available.