Federal government writes to regulators investigating Opus Dei-affiliated schools that former students say caused ‘pain and suffering’

The federal government has warned an independent investigator could be appointed following a state probe, to determine if schools affiliated with the small-but-powerful Catholic organisation Opus Dei have breached the Commonwealth Education Act.

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Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said his department had written to the NSW Education Standards Authority on Tuesday, following a Four Corners investigation into disturbing practices at the schools.

Mr Clare said the allegations contained in Monday’s program were “serious”, and it was important that they were properly investigated by NSW authorities.

“Depending on what the outcome of that investigation is, my department has the power to appoint an independent person to conduct their own investigation,” Mr Clare said.

Premier Dominic Perrottet called on the NSW Education Standards Authority to investigate Tangara School for Girls and Redfield College after being informed of the allegations before Four Corners’ broadcast on Monday.

Mr Clare said the trigger for breaching the Commonwealth Education Act would be if his department found that the schools were not implementing the approved curriculum in full.

The Four Corners investigation featured former students who attended the schools over a 20-year time frame, up to 2021.

They said they were told that watching pornography caused holes in the brain, were discouraged from getting a life-saving cancer vaccine, and described textbooks from the curriculum with pages ripped out or redacted.

Students at Redfield College say they were horribly bullied by other students.(Four Corners: Nick Wiggins)

Former students also said they were made to watch videos and attend speaker sessions where they are told that masturbation is mentally disordered behaviour.

They said homophobia was rife, and there were persistent attempts to recruit school students to Opus Dei.

The schools have denied teaching misinformation, saying they complied with the NSW curriculum.

They say they do not attempt to recruit students into the conservative Catholic organisation, and do not condone the practice.

Tangara School for Girls said it now provides information to students about the HPV vaccine which is in line with accepted medical advice, and textbooks are not redacted.

The schools said “no children were victimised because of their sexual orientation”, and the safety and wellbeing of students was paramount.

“We have put in place strict policies and procedures to deal with victimisation or bullying … [and] also work closely with families of students who identify as LGBTIQ to provide additional support as needed”, the schools said.

‘I had to hide myself away’

Since Monday’s broadcast, many more students have come forward to Four Corners alleging similar experiences.

Eamon McCaughan, who graduated from Redfield in 2008, is from a strict Opus Dei background and part of a group of young gay men who say they are scarred by their time at the school.

Eamon McCaughan says he was horrendously bullied.(Four Corners: Nick Wiggins)

He said an investigation was “a big step forward and a step in the right direction”.

“This is not a revenge story, this is not about getting back at people. This is about accountability and it’s about creating a safer place for people who are different.”

Eamon said he was “bullied horrendously” at Redfield College by other students.

“I was set on fire, electrocuted, targeted at sports,” he said.

But by this stage, Eamon had given up on telling anyone about the bullying.

“I had to hide myself away from the regular groups of people who tried to bully me, eventually [it] got so bad that I attempted suicide before my 18th birthday.”

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Eamon said his suicide attempt was the night before his HSC maths exam.

He never told a soul, but was aware of other alumni who had killed themselves.

Four Corners has spoken with two families of boys who took their own lives.

Eamon said he was speaking out because his time at Redfield had taken away his freedom and his voice.

“The pain and suffering that I’ve gone through, I don’t want anybody else to go through and for too long I’ve been quiet about it.”

“No more am I going to allow that to happen. We all deserve a chance to be heard, and I know I’m just one voice of many who want Redfield and Opus Dei to be held accountable for the way that we were treated in school.”

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