Brother Cormac (Francis David) Brophy

Francis David Brophy, known in the De La Salle Brothers as Brother Cormac Brophy, was a member of the De La Salle Brothers who was convicted of multiple child sexual abuse offences committed while working at BoysTown, Queensland.

Early Ministry

Court records indicate that Brother Cormac served at the following institutions:

• De La Salle College, Malvern, Victoria – during the 1960s.

• BoysTown, Beaudesert, Queensland – from 1977 to 1983.

Allegations indicate that Brophy began sexually abusing students while teaching at De La Salle College, Malvern, in 1962. These allegations have not been determined by a Victorian court.

Abuse at BoysTown

Between 1977 and 1983, Brother Cormac worked at BoysTown, a residential institution near Beaudesert, Queensland, for disadvantaged boys aged approximately 12 to 16 years.

Evidence presented in the Queensland District Court established that Brophy sexually and physically abused boys in his care during this period. His victims described years of intimidation, violence and sexual abuse while living at the institution.

BoysTown was established in 1961 and operated until 2001, during which time more than 1,000 boys passed through the facility. It was staffed by members of the De La Salle Brothers and received Queensland Government funding.

Criminal Charges and Conviction

In 2013, Queensland Police detectives from the Child Trauma and Sexual Crime Unit charged Brother Cormac with multiple child sexual abuse offences relating to his time at BoysTown.

In 2017, following a jury trial in the District Court of Queensland, Brophy, then aged 87, was found guilty of multiple offences involving the sexual abuse of children. He was convicted on more than 30 charges, including offences involving nine boys.

Sentencing

In August 2017, Brophy was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, with eligibility to apply for parole after serving two years.

During sentencing, Judge William Everson strongly condemned Brophy's conduct, describing him as:

"a cowardly, evil paedophile"

The judge said Brophy had masqueraded as a man of God while inflicting lifelong trauma on vulnerable children entrusted to his care. He also described BoysTown during Brophy's time there as a place of "sheer terror", where victims endured extreme violence, intimidation and sexual abuse.

Judge Everson said:

"Your legacy disgusts me and every right-minded member of society."

The court heard that many victims continued to suffer lifelong psychological harm, including nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder.

De La Salle Brothers and BoysTown

Following the laying of charges in 2013, the De La Salle Brothers issued public statements emphasising that the current organisation BoysTown Limited, incorporated in 2002, was a separate corporate entity from the former BoysTown residential facility at Beaudesert where Brophy offended.

The De La Salle Brothers remain the owners of BoysTown Limited through their trustees.

The De La Salle Brothers also stated that the Queensland criminal proceedings related only to offences committed in Queensland. Any allegations concerning Brophy's earlier time at De La Salle College, Malvern, would fall under the jurisdiction of Victorian authorities.