In a display of silence, the John of God Brothers headquarters, based in Rome, did not open the door to Marylands survivor Darryl Smith. Smith, a long-time voice for sexual abuse survivors, was sexually abused as a child while at John of God Brothers residential schools in both New Zealand and Australia. Pleased that finally Read more
A man who suffered sexual abuse as a child at the hands of the Brothers of St John of God is upset. Darryl Smith (pictured) was one of dozens of boys who suffered “extreme abuse and neglect” at Marylands School. Complaints show the school’s abusive reign ran from 1955 to the late 1980s. Now 59, Read more
Financial compensation is just a starting point for a survivor of abuse at the Marylands School – he is calling for more. Darryl Smith suffered at the hands of the John of God Brothers in Australia and New Zealand. He has already undergone a redress settlement process in Australia and received compensation from the Queensland Read more
Darryl Smith says having the Royal Commission interim report “Stolen Lives, Marked Souls” on Marylands out in public is a good thing. Smith is a former student at Marylands School and a survivor. The Royal Commission acknowledges his quest for justice. He is pleased that finally the children’s cries for help that were ignored by Read more
The Catholic Church in New Zealand says it’s too soon to bring the police into the historic abuse in care findings Church investigations have uncovered. A more thorough investigation will have to be undertaken first in relation to the 1680 recorded instances of alleged abuse reported since 1950 – of which 592 alleged abusers were Read more
The dates for hearing evidence about abuse at Christchurch’s Marylands School, co-located St Joseph’s Orphanage and the Hebron Trust have been announced by the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. The Commission is encouraging survivors to come forward, as is St John of God survivor, Darryl Smith. Smith says his traumatic story with St John Read more
Dunedin sexual abuse survivor, Darryl Smith, has been unsuccessful in his attempt to meet Pope Francis. “We were blocked by the Swiss Guard who dismissed the letter from Bishop Dooley”, writes Spokesman for the Auckland-based Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions, Dr Murray Heasley. Heasley is in Rome with Smith. Writing on Facebook, Heasley reports,”They Read more