In October 2022, accusations of child abuse against a Christian Brother surfaced. The report prompted an exclusive boys boarding school in Boondall to review its naming of a ‘house’ after him.
The naming of a house at St Joseph’s Nudgee College after Brother Darcy Fidelis Murphy, the school’s boarding master and deputy headmaster in the 1980s and early 1990s, will be subject to review.
The statement follows a report in early October, revealing that in 1978, Brother Murphy had been involved in orchestrating a cover-up of his own abuse of a teen boarder at St Brendan College.
Brother Murphy who was the headmaster of the school at the time was accused of sneaking into the boardinghouse to molest the 14-year-old. The victim, who was in year 10 then, said that the first time it happened, he shouted and told Murphy to get away.
The abuse happened again on another night, prompting him to jump up and turn on the lights so he could run from Murphy who was chasing him. He then ended up sleeping on the oval that night after he was unable to find his brother who was also boarding at the school.
His brother reported the assaults but the victim was instead made to sign a false confession indicating that he was homosexual and was acting out his fantasies. He was then forced by Murphy and two other Brothers to read it to his father over the phone.
After they hung up the phone, the teen immediately walked out of the office and called his father using a public phone to tell him that whatever he heard was not true.
After the school term ended, he transferred to another school. Murphy left the school in 1981.
Former Christian Brother Mick Devlin, who was also teaching at St Brendan College at the time, confirmed the allegations and said that other staff at the school wanted Brother Murphy out. He recalled that a member of the Christian Brothers’ leadership team assured them that Murphy would never be appointed to a boarding school again.
In 1983, however, Murphy was listed on St Joseph’s Nudgee College’s academic staff and also appeared as the Year 11 boarding house dormitory master the following year. Beginning in 1987 until the early 1990s, he was the school’s deputy headmaster.
Murphy died of throat cancer in 1995.
One of St Brendan College’s four boarding houses was named after Murphy but the school said it ended when the premises were renovated in 2015. Nudgee College said that in light of the allegations raised, they will review the naming decision.
The school did clarify that they have no record of any complaint against Brother Murphy but anyone who has any information is encouraged to contact the authorities.