Father John " Jack' Ayers

Background

Father John ("Jack") Ayers was a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, a Catholic religious order founded by Saint John Bosco in Italy in 1859. The Salesians operate schools and youth services throughout Australia and internationally.

The order has faced numerous historical allegations of child sexual abuse involving some of its members, and several former students have pursued civil claims relating to abuse that allegedly occurred in Salesian institutions.

Allegations and Civil Settlement

A former student who attended Salesian College Rupertswood in Sunbury, Victoria, between 1965 and 1967 alleged that he was sexually abused by Father John Ayers while he was a boarding student aged between 12 and 13.

In 2000, after deciding to confront his experiences, the former student approached the Salesians regarding the alleged abuse. The matter was resolved through an out-of-court settlement. As part of the settlement, he signed a Deed of Release, preventing any future civil action against the Salesians in relation to the allegations. The deed identifies both Father John Ayers and the survivor.

According to the settlement deed, the survivor alleged that between 1965 and 1967 he was unlawfully sexually and/or physically assaulted by Father Ayers while attending Salesian College Rupertswood. He further alleged that the assaults caused him physical and psychological injuries and that he might require counselling or therapy in the future. The claim also alleged negligence and breach of duty by the Salesians.

The Salesians denied liability. The deed states that the settlement was reached "to avoid the cost, expense and inconvenience of litigation."

Ministry and Assignments

Father Ayers joined the Salesian order in the early 1950s.

According to Salesian records, he helped establish Salesian College Chadstone in Melbourne in 1957, where he served as one of nine Salesian staff members.

During the early 1960s, he taught at Salesian College in Brooklyn Park, Adelaide. Later in that decade, he was assigned to Salesian College Rupertswood in Sunbury, where the allegations relate.

In the 1970s, Father Ayers worked at Boys Town, a Salesian residential facility for disadvantaged boys at Engadine, New South Wales.

During the 1990s, Father Ayers was transferred to Salesian ministries in the Pacific. He was at one stage based at Moamoa Theological College in Samoa alongside fellow Australian Salesian Father Frank Klep.

The 2010 edition of the Australian Catholic Directory continued to list Father Ayers as "currently overseas."

Rupertswood College

At the time of the alleged abuse, Salesian College Rupertswood was a boys-only boarding and day school. Female students were admitted in later years.

Former students have described large dormitories accommodating approximately 100 junior boarders, supervised overnight by Salesian Brothers. The school community at the time reportedly included around 19 priests, brothers and lay brothers.

The survivor involved in the settlement recalled feeling unsafe within parts of the school's main building and said the abuse had a profound impact on his childhood. He stated that he ran away from the school on several occasions and felt unable to report the alleged abuse because of the high level of trust afforded to Catholic clergy at the time.

Police Investigation

In 2011, the Victoria Police Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team reportedly gathered evidence relating to allegations against Father Ayers in Victoria. At that time, he was living in a nursing home in Samoa, where he died in 2012 at the age of 83. No criminal charges were heard against him in relation to the allegations described above.