Australian Catholic order accused of waiting for paedophile to die and using death to shield it from abuse claims

Marist Brothers is seeking to permanently halt a survivor’s case alleging abuse by the late Francis Cable, arguing his death renders it unable to fairly defend itself. Photograph: Carlos Gil Andreu/Getty Images

A Catholic order allegedly sat on its hands for almost two years waiting for a notorious paedophile clergy member to die and is now using his death to claim it can no longer receive a fair trial against one of his victims, an approach described in court as “absolutely perverse”.

The Marist Brothers order is currently seeking to permanently halt a survivor’s case alleging abuse by the late Brother Francis “Romuald” Cable, arguing his death renders it unable to fairly defend itself because it can no longer call him as a witness.