'Five of my classmates have committed suicide'

Paul Fauth, 59, now of Melbourne, attended St Joseph's Nudgee College in Brisbane in the 1950s and '60s. He said a classmate had attempted suicide on July 30 in Brisbane after memories of abuse were rekindled before World Youth Day.

The man's life support system was turned off on August 1 and he was cremated on Thursday.

Mr Fauth said he knew of 10 from his class of 29 students who were sexually abused by the priest. He had been molested from age eight to 13, while he boarded at the school.

"When I was eight he first molested me by pulling my pants down and fondling me, saying that he had to check me out for disease," he said. "A week later, he raped me and said it's what big people do and it should be our secret."

When the boy told his parents, they belted him for lying because the priest was a family friend, he said.

It is understood the priest, now aged 89, lives in a Brisbane suburban retirement home. Mr Fauth said the alleged victims planned to take legal action against the priest and were considering a class action. A police spokesman said there was no time limit on charges for such offences.

Mr Fauth said that, when he had been in his 20s, he had confronted the priest but the only response had been: "You need your head read."

Bishop Anthony Fisher of the Sydney Archdiocese said last month some victims of sexual abuse were "dwelling crankily . on old wounds".

Mr Fauth said the comments had been "gut-wrenching and sickening".

"I was so upset I called my best friend from school and confided in him and he told me he'd been abused by the same priest," Mr Fauth said.

The pair called others in their class and learned four more alleged they had been molested and four others had committed suicide, he said.

Mr Fauth said he had demanded a meeting with Bishop Fisher and had seen him in Sydney on July 29.

"He offered me his bishop's ring to kiss but I refused and told him he was a toad of a man," Mr Fauth said. "I was so angry and hurt. I told him very forcefully that he had no idea of the pain and suffering he'd caused by his totally offensive comments."

Mr Fauth said Bishop Fisher had encouraged him to join Towards Healing, a church program that dealt with allegations of sexual abuse, but the program did not help most victims and was not available in Melbourne.

"I want the church to be accountable for the hundreds of lives they've ruined," he said. "I don't want revenge or their bloody money."

A spokesman said Bishop Fisher had expressed "sorrow that comments he had made about some reporting on these matters had been construed as criticism of victims" and had apologised for any hurt to Mr Fauth.

A Christian Brothers spokesman said he could not confirm whether Mr Fauth had attended the school or whether he had been abused. "The Christian Brothers over the last two decades have issued heartfelt and genuine apologies to victims of abuse and in some cases have paid compensation," he said.

Brother Phil Mulhall, an executive officer of the Catholic Church's National Committee for Professional Standards, based in Sydney, said he had spoken to Mr Fauth about two weeks ago. "He was obviously very upset about his friend [who later died] and our office gave him air tickets to get to Brisbane to see the man's family," Mr Mulhall said.

Mr Fauth said he had called church officials after his friend first attempted suicide to try to arrange help. "I begged the church to help but nothing happened," he said.

A spokesman for Brisbane Bishop Brian Finnigan said he could not comment "on individual cases that are undergoing or may be headed for the Towards Healing process".

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