December 30, 2003
THREE Sydney members of a Catholic Church order could be extradited to New Zealand to face a string of child sexual assault charges dating back almost 50 years.
Father Raymond Garchow, 56, and Brothers William Lebler, 81, and Rodger Maloney, 67, of the order of St John of God were arrested by federal police on Saturday morning after the Christchurch District Court issued an extradition warrant last month.
It is believed police in New Zealand are seeking to lay 47 charges against the three, based on allegations made by 23 different people. The claims of sexual abuse date back to when the brothers taught at the Marylands school for intellectually disabled boys in Christchurch in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The school closed in 1984.
Last year the St John of God order paid out almost $4 million to 24 intellectually disabled men who were abused by Victorian members of the order.
The abuse was carried out by at least 20 brothers over three decades at residential care units in Melbourne.
