A Canberra court has heard how convicted sex abuser and former Marist Brother Kostka was allowed to continue teaching even after his abuse was made known. The Canberra Times reports the 75-year-old to continued working with boys at the Pearce school even after the headmaster and a teacher were told he was molesting students.
Br Kostka pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to sexually molesting four students between 1986 and 1987 when they were aged 13 and 14.
All the offences occurred on the school's premises in Pearce, including in Kostka's office and in his on-campus residence.
The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions was forced to drop seven charges of committing acts of indecency because they had allegedly happened pre-1985.
One alleged victim told police he had reported Kostka's assault on him to a teacher in 1986 because he was concerned Kostka was spending a lot of time with another young student.
However, the teacher, John Doyle, told him the next day that "nothing was going to be done regarding his allegation and his concerns".
Several years later, in the early 1990s, he went to the school and told the then-headmaster of the assault.
But when he spoke to the headmaster soon after, he was told Kostka had denied assaulting him and the investigation had been passed on to Kostka's "superiors".
He met a senior Marist Brother Alexis Turton, who is now professional standards officer for the Marist order only to be asked "what he wanted" from the Marist Brothers, and was offered counselling.
Br Alexis later informed him Kostka had been moved to a Mittagong farmhouse for retired Marist brothers, the Hermitage, where he remained until his arrest last month.
Kostka's victims told police he would win their trust and confidence before developing a pattern of systemic abuse, some boys being molested on a daily basis over more than a year.
One victim, who was molested in 1986 recalled how Kostka sat next to him and put his hand on his groin.
The boy told his parents who were told by headmaster, Br Terrence Heinrich who told them they could either go to police or the school could handle the matter "in-house". They opted for the latter. However, Kostka taught for a further seven years.
Kostka will appear in the ACT Supreme Court next month for the start of sentencing proceedings. He is living with Br Turton in Sydney.
"In acknowledging his responsibility, he wants also to communicate his deep sorrow at having caused so much hurt," Br Turton said in a statement.
"We Marist Brothers wish to express deep regret for the way your lives have been damaged through your association with us and for the breakdown in trust that has resulted.
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