Paul Keaney
Brother Paul Francis Keaney, MBE, ISO (5 October 1888 - 26 February 1954) was an Irish-born Australian educationalist and a sadistic paedophile who oversaw and actively participated in a culture of rape, abuse and humiliation of male child migrants at a Christian Brothers farm-school in Western Australia.
Contents
Biography
Keaney was born on 5 October 1888, at Corralskin, Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim, Ireland, son of Terance Keaney, farmer, and his wife Mary, née McGowan.[1] In 1911 he migrated to Australia and in 1916 he became a Christian Brother. In 1924 he became headmaster at Clontarf Orphanage, and he later taught at Christian Brothers College, Perth, and Christian Brothers College, Fremantle.[1] In later life he supervised the building and running of agricultural school establishments at Tardun and Bindoon for orphans and child migrants. He died at Subiaco on 26 February 1954, aged 65. A statue was erected to his memory at Bindoon. In an obituary he was referred to as 'The Orphan's Friend' and as having given 'a life of devotion to the underprivileged boys…'[2]
Abuse of child migrants
Paul Keaney, "a big stout man with the neck of a bull",[1] was a sadistic paedophile who, during his time as headmaster of the Christian Brothers College in Perth, subjected boys under his authority to systematic rape, humiliation and abuse. According to the 2001 Senate Community Affairs and References Committee report Lost Innocents: Righting the Record—Report on Child Migration, evidence revealed the depraved, violent and abusive nature of Brother Keaney and his role in the systematic abuse of children under his care. In submissions to the Committee, individuals who had been abused by Keaney described his brutality: "I lost my teeth at Bindoon—my face kicked repeatedly by Brother Keaney". Similarly—"Br. Keaney was a very sadistic, perverted and deviant paedophile. He abused many of the boys. . .in his care. Tragically, there was just no-one that we victims could go to for help. Who would have believed us anyway?".
Keaney imposed forced labour on children under his authority. The boys were made to do the building work in bare feet. They were worked so hard that they developed burns and sores on their feet and hands. Their breakfast invariably contained brick dust. They were made to sleep on urine soaked mattresses. Furthermore, the boys would be beaten with belts, which had heavy buckles. The beatings would be conducted in front of the other boys. The boys' trousers would be pulled down, in front of the other boys, before they received their beatings.[2]
Keaney also oversaw a culture of abuse in which other brothers and children were encouraged to rape, humiliate and abuse weaker boys.[2] In an effort to raise awareness of the issue, Senator Andrew Murray spoke to a Matter of Public Interest stating "He (Keaney) was a sadist who indulged in criminal assault and who knowingly protected rings of predatory brothers engaged in systemic long-term sexual assault on defenceless children".[3] His record came under unfavourable scrutiny after former students recalled his role as that of a brutal disciplinarian with an ungovernable temper, who neglected their education, exploited their labour and turned a blind eye to sexual misconduct by staff members.[4]
Honours
Keaney was appointed MBE and ISO in 1953. In response to overwhelming evidence submitted to the aforementioned Senate report, numerous attempts at rescinding Br. Keaney's imperial honours have been made without success.[5]
See also
Notes
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- Barry M Coldrey, The Scheme: The Christian Brothers and Childcare in Western Australia, Argyle-pacific Publishing, O'Connor, Western Australia, 1993, pp. 462 and 464.
- Western Australia Legislative Assembly, Report of the Select Committee into Child Migrants, Perth, 1996;
- House of Commons, Health Committee, The Welfare of Former British Child Migrants, Third Report, Session 1997-1998, HC 755-I and HC 755-II, Volumes I and II, London, 1997;
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. - Links to report, submissions, public hearing transcripts;
External links
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Humphreys, M. (2011) Oranges & Sunshine, Corgi Books.
- ↑ Senate Hansard 2001, p. 27275
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- ↑ Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, Hansard page 113, Senate FP&A Hansard p.161, 26 May 2003.
