Abuse survivors and police call for St Stanislaus College Royal Commission investigation

EMILY BOURKE: The notorious paedophile priest, Brian Spillane, has today been sentenced to a further nine years' jail for sexual assaults, committed while he was a teacher and chaplain at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst.

He's one of 12 people connected to the Catholic boys' school in the central west of New South Wales who have been convicted of child sexual assault.

Abuse survivors and police are baffled as to why the school has not been investigated by the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse.

Lucy Carter has the story.

LUCY CARTER: Damian Sheridan was a 13-year-old boarder at St Stanislaus College in 1985.

He was homesick and having nightmares and went to the then-school chaplain, Father Brian Spillane, for comfort.

Instead, Spillane took the opportunity to molest him under the pretence of performing 'an exorcism'.

The abuse has affected the rest of Mr Sheridan's life:

DAMIAN SHERIDAN: Everything has changed. Everything, you know: the way my brain has actually developed, the way everything has developed is all "fight and flight". It's all to be protected. And you know, it's literally destroyed family, friends, everything.

LUCY CARTER: Spillane was today sentenced to a minimum of nine years' jail for abusing seven boys at St Stanislaus College between 1974 and 1990.

It's far from his first time before the courts.

Spillane has been behind bars since 2010 and found guilty of five separate strings of offences against more than 30 boys and girls.

He now won't be eligible for parole until at least 2026, when he'll be 84 years old.

DAMIAN SHERIDAN: All done. The case is finished: yeah, great, you know, sentencing.

I've still got a lot to deal with. I've still got to deal with all this rubbish that he's done to me. I'm still dealing with it all and for me it's a life sentence. It's not just: "OK, it's over and done with now, we can go out and have fun." It's not like that.

LUCY CARTER: Brian Spillane is one of 12 people convicted of child sexual assault at St Stanislaus College.

One hundred and sixty victims connected to the school have come forward so far.

Senior police have told PM they believe the 10-year probe into the Catholic boys' school is the biggest child sexual abuse investigation of an institution in Australian history.

Damian Sheridan chose to waive his right to anonymity to speak to PM:

DAMIAN SHERIDAN: I think it's time now that, you know, the secret is out. That the paedophiles at St Stanislaus College are where they should be: behind bars.

And now, let's continue on and let everyone else know that this has gone on, this happens. This is real. And to all the other victims out there that haven't come forward, you know, which there are a lot still.

LUCY CARTER: Carole Nielson's son Tor was also abused by Brian Spillane while at St Stanislaus.

She can't understand why the child abuse royal commission hasn't examined the school in detail.

CAROLE NIELSON: Very happy that the victims or the survivors have got justice and hoping that the royal commission will now start investigating the Stanislaus and the Bathurst sexual abuse.

There were 160 survivors of sexual abuse in Bathurst over 30 years who were abused by 12 people who have all been charged and convicted. And the royal commission really needs to look at that.

LUCY CARTER: In a statement to PM, the commission said private sessions had been held with abuse survivors in Bathurst, but that a public hearing was unlikely to be held.

STATEMENT FROM THE ROYAL COMMISSION: When making decisions as to whether to hold public hearings, the royal commission must consider amongst, other matters, its available resources.

The number of allegations it has received make it impossible to publicly examine all of them.

A significant consideration in deciding whether to hold a public hearing is whether there are ongoing criminal proceedings which could be prejudiced.

This is the case with respect to Bathurst and was a significant issue when deciding the royal commission's public hearing schedule.

LUCY CARTER: Carole Nielson says she hopes they reconsider.

CAROLE NIELSON: I find it disappointing because it's... What the royal commission has shown us is that it is very important that the lids are lifted off these places and that people become aware and informed of what can happen to their children, because then they're empowered to stop it happening and I think that's so important.

LUCY CARTER: What is it like as a mother hearing about these things that happened to your children that you had entrusted into the care of the Church?

CAROLE NIELSON: Well, I think it's soul-destroying, basically. Those little children and their families and their parents all had a belief in a philosophy that is good and generous and kind and compassionate. And when the masks came off, they were faced with monsters.

Totally devastating, totally devastating. But, you know, you fight. You fight.

EMILY BOURKE: Carole Nielson, the mother of a St Stanislaus College abuse survivor, speaking there with Lucy Carter.