Brother Thomas Joseph Butler

Brother Thomas Joseph Butler (19 May 1929 – 2006), known in the Marist Brothers as Brother Patrick, was a Marist Brother who taught in Catholic schools across New South Wales and Queensland for more than five decades. Former students later alleged that he sexually abused boys during his teaching career. Evidence presented to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that Marist leadership received complaints about Butler but allowed him to continue teaching at various schools.

Early life and entry into the Marist Brothers

Thomas Joseph Butler was born in Sydney on 19 May 1929.

He attended a Marist Brothers school at Eastwood, Sydney. At about 13 years of age, he was encouraged to pursue a religious vocation and, in January 1943, entered the Marist Brothers' juniorate, a boarding school for boys preparing to become members of the Order.

After completing his secondary education and approximately 18 months of religious formation and teacher training, he took the religious name Brother Patrick. Shortly after his seventeenth birthday, he began teaching in Marist schools, committing himself to the Marist Brothers for the remainder of his working life.

Teaching appointments

Between the late 1940s and 2001, Brother Patrick taught at numerous Marist schools.

New South Wales

His appointments included:

• Hamilton (late 1940s, mid-1960s and again during the 1970s)

• Mossman

• Darlinghurst

• St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill

• Eastwood

• Parramatta

• Kogarah

• Marcellin College, Randwick

Queensland

He also taught at Marist College Ashgrove, Brisbane, in 1962 and again from 1989 to 2000.

Allegations of child sexual abuse

Former students from several Marist schools alleged that Brother Patrick sexually abused boys during lessons and in other school settings.

Several former students stated that Butler would touch boys' genitals, either inside or outside their clothing, often in full view of other students while classes were in progress.

One former student, identified publicly by the pseudonym "Barnaby", alleged that while Butler was principal at Marist Brothers Eastwood during the 1960s, he would place his arm around boys and fondle their genitals through their clothing.

Barnaby also alleged that, after being called to Butler's office following an absence from school, Butler attempted to remove his shorts. Barnaby said he struck Butler with an open hand and ran from the room. He was later expelled from the school for truancy. He said he did not disclose the alleged abuse to his family because he believed they would not accept that a Catholic Brother could commit such acts.

Barnaby also recalled that, during his years in Catholic schools, students regularly shared stories about Brothers behaving inappropriately towards children.

Death

Brother Patrick Butler died in 2006, aged 77.

Marist Brothers' response

In April 2015, the Marist Brothers' Australian leadership issued a statement in response to questions from the Newcastle Herald. The Order acknowledged that it had received complaints about Brother Patrick from former students at three Marist schools, although it did not identify the schools involved.

The statement included an apology to "the victims of Patrick Butler and the victims of other Brothers or school employees."

Royal Commission findings

In September 2016, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse conducted a public hearing in Newcastle examining the Marist Brothers' handling of complaints concerning Brother Patrick Butler and several other members of the Order.

The evidence presented to the Royal Commission showed that Marist authorities were aware of allegations against Butler during his career but continued to appoint him to teaching positions.

On 21 October 2020, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation published a report summarising the Royal Commission's findings concerning the Marist Brothers' handling of complaints about Brother Patrick Butler.