Witness Statement - Royal Commission into Institutional ...

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Chfld Sexual Abuse Case Study 13: Marist Brothers 1 Witness Statement of Sean Sammon

Witness Statement

·Name Sean Sammon

Address REDACTED

Occupation Scholar in Residence, Marist College

Date 31 July 2014

My name is Brother Sean Sammon, FMS.

2 Unless I state otherwise, I have set out in this statement my independent recollection of the events

the subject of the statement.

3 I provide this statement in connection with my knowledge of the response to allegations of sexual

misconduct involving former Maris! Brother Gregory Joseph Sutton.

4 This statement has been prepared with the assistance of Gilbert+ Tobin lawyers in response to and

in compliance with a Summons or Notice issued by the Royal Commission in connection with a

hearing into Case Study 13. It is produced to the Royal Commission on the basis that it will be

tendered and received in evidence by the Royal Commission pursuant to that Summons or Notice,

and on the basis that the statement will be treated as evidence pursuant to the Commonwealth or

State legislation applicable to this Royal Commission case study.

Professional Background

5 II joined the Marist Brothers order in 1966 in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts in the United States of

America.

6 In 1970, I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.

7 From 1970 to 1973, I completed a Masters of Arts in Psychology at The Graduate Faculty of the New

School f~r Social Research, New York, NY.

8 From August 1970 to June 1974, I was a teacher and guidance counsellor at Saint Agnes High

School in New York, NY.

9 From July 1974 to June 1975, I was a fellow in neuropsychology at Saint Bamabas·Medical Centre in

the Bronx, NY.

10 From July 1975 to June 1977, I worked as a psychology trainee at the FOR Veterans Administration

Hospital in Montrose, NY.

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Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Case Study 13: Marist Brothers 1 Witness Statement of Selin Sammon

11 From July 1977 to June 1978, I was an intern in clinical psychology at the Institute of Living, a private

psychiatric hospital, in Hartford, CT.

12 In 1978, I began working as a staff psychologist at the House of Affirmation, a renewal and

rehabilitation centre in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. The House of Affirmation, which eventually had

five centres in the US as well as an outpatient clinic in Boston, Massachusetts, and an Educational

Centre in Natick, Massachusetts, was a specialty centre for religious and for priests with issues

including depression, personality disorders and adjustment disorders. Among the mix of patients, the

House of Affirmation would also provide treatment for people with issues related to child sexual

abuse, both those abused and abusers, but this was not a major focus of the C entre. In 1980, I

became the Assistant Director of the Hopedale, Massachusetts Centre and in 1982 the Director of

Education for the House of Affirmation Corporation. In 1983, I was appointed as the International

Clinical Director for the House of Affirmation, a position which I held until early 1987. While in this

position I conducted in-service programs for staff on the topic of child sexual abuse and the existing

reporting laws for mental health professionals.

13 In 1981, I completed a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Fordham University. My thesis related to

psychological aspects of transition issues in men religious through the ages of 28 to 32.

14 From June 1987 to October 1993, I served as the Provincial of the Marist Brothers, Poughkeepsie

Province. I held that role in 1992. We had our headquarters in Watertown, Massachusetts from July

1987 until late August 1992 at which time we relocated to Pelham, NY.

15 In October 1993, I became the Vicar General of the Fratelli Maristi (the Italian name for the Marist

Brothers) in Rome, Italy. This was a senior global role in the Marist Brothers, involving

responsibilities relating to the administration of the Marist Brothers worldwide. I was also involved in

international educational programs and consultancy services during this period. I held this role until to

October 2001.

16 From October 2001 to late September 2009, I served as the Superior General of the Fratelli Maristi in

Rome, Italy. This is the most senior position in the Marist Brothers internationally; the Superior

General is the international leader of the Marist Brothers globally. At the time there were around

3,800 Marist Brothers globally, across roughly 80 countries, who were involved in the teaching and

supervision of about 650,000 young people. As Superior General I sent a letter to all provincials and

district leaders throughout the Marist Brothers Institute about the issue of child sexual abuse and

pointed out their responsibility to follow the civil law of their country.

17 While serving as Superior General I was a member of the Union of Superiors General, an

organization that includes the leaders of men's Catholic rel igious congregations throughout the world.

As a member of the Union of Superiors General I was a member of the organization's child abuse

task force and delivered a paper on the topic at a meeting of the membership. A copy of that paper is

attached to this statement and marked "551".

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18 After completing my term as Superior General, I returned to the US and after a short sabbatical took

up the appointment, in September 201 0, of a Scholar in Residence at Marist College, Poughkeepsie,

NY. Marist College is a university granting bachelors and masters degrees. This is the position I

currently hold. Though founded by the Maris! Brothers order, Maris! College today is independently

owned and operated by a Board of Trustees.

19 My role at Marist College involves research and writing. I have also collaborated with the Emerging

Leaders Program that serves undergraduate programs as well as with the Human Resources

Department offering workshops such as Civility in the Workplace and Coping with Genuinely Difficult

people at work and in the rest of life. I have done in-service programs with students, faculty and staff

on topics such as the history of the Maris! order and of Marist College. I also consult with Roman

Catholic and Anglican religious congregations in the US, Canada and at times with groups outside of

North America on topics of renewal in religious life and the interface between faith and social

science. Eventually, I hope to establish at Maris! College a Centre that will help to promote the

renewal of Catholic religious congregations in the United States.

Educational workshops, publ icat ions and exper ience regarding child abuse issues

20 I am currently a licensed psychologist in the State of New York and have been since 1993. Beginning

in 1983 and for several years thereafter I was also a licensed psychologist in the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts. I discontinued my Massachusetts license shortly after receiving my New York

license. A licensed psychologist in the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

under State law, is a mandated reporter, and as a result I am required to inform the Bureau of Child

Protective Services of any report of child sexual abuse of which I became aware as a result of my

clinical practice.

21 Since 1986 I have been a member of the National Register of Health Care Professionals, which is

based in Washington D.C. The National register offers education to members about their

responsibility to report child abuse to the appropriate civil authorities.

22 I am familiar with the issue of chi ld sexual abuse from the work and training I have done in the United

States, as well as my professional studies and practice as a psychologist.

23 As a psychologist, my training has also touched on issues of child sexual abuse. For example, as

part of becoming a licensed psychologist in the State of New York, I completed a course in relation to

clhild sexual abuse issues and the responsibi lities of psychologists to report abuse.

24 Since about the 1980s, I have conducted more than two dozen workshops with different religious

congregations and as mentioned earlier with the Union of Superiors General in relation to issues of

child sexual abuse. These workshops focussed on issues such as the occurrence of chi ld sexual

abuse, and the responsibilities of the Church in responding to allegations. In those workshops, I

explain that the responsibilities of the Church are firstly to the victims, then to possible future victims

arnd those persons who do not have any support in coming forward, to others doing ministry who

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Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Case Study 13: Marist Brothers 1 Witness Statement of Sean Sammon

need to continue to do so without suspicion, and only then to the perpetrator. I also stress in these

workshops the importance of fo llowing the civil and criminal laws of the relevant country. A copy of

the slides from a recent workshop I conducted are attached to this statement and marked 'SS2".

25 In the 1980s, I authored an article in The Priest Magazine about the response to allegations of child

sexual abuse, entitled "A Pastoral Approach to Child Sexual Abuse". In that article, I discussed a

number of issues related to child sexual abuse and stressed the importance of all involved following

civil law. In 1993, that article with some updated references was included as an Appendix in a book

entitled 'An Undivided Heart: Making Sense of Celibate Chastity", published by Alba House, Staten

Island, NY. This book was also republished with a new chapter in 2013. A copy of that Appendix is

attached to this statement and marked "SS3".

26 I also have experience with the issue of chi ld sexual abuse within the Church as a result of issues I

have had to deal with which have arisen from time to time within the Marist Brothers. As an example,

I recall that in around 1988 or 1989, while I was Provincial, a Marist Brother in New York was indicted

on charges relating to an allegation of child sexual abuse. I personally escorted that Brother to the

police on the day of his arrest to ensure that the legal process could be followed. That Brother was

ultimately acquitted at trial. Prior to his arrest our Province also cooperated with the investigation

undertaken by the local District Attorney.

Treatment facilities

27 As a result of my professional knowledge, I am famil iar with the treatment facil ities which were

available for perpetrators of chi ld sexual abuse in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At that time, there

were only a very limited number of facilities in North America which provided specialised treatment

programs for perpetrators of child sexual abuse. These included the Institute of Living in Hartford,

Connecticut, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, the House of Affirmation, St Luke Institute

in Suitland, Maryland, and the Southdown Institute, which is near Toronto in Canada.

28 Southdown was and still is a well-respected program in treating a number of psychological issues

including depression, drug addiction and sexual disorders including for perpetrators of child sexual

abuse, among others.

29 From my experience, awareness of issues of child sexual abuse started to emerge among religious

communities in around the late 1980s. At around this time, there appeared to be a general view held

among the religious communities and among psychologists that clinics such as Southdown provided

a valuable option to provide treatment for alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse. It was not

uncommon at that time to refer people against whom allegations of child sexual abuse had been

made to institutions such as Southdown, in the hope that the therapy and treatment offered there

could effectively treat their condition and assist in ensuring that that person would not re-offend.

Paga 4 j

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Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Case Study 13: Marist Brothers 1 Witness Statement of Sean Sammon

Position as Provincial in 1992

30 In 1992, the Marist Brothers in the United States were divided into two large provinces; the

Poughkeepsie Province, the headquarters of which was based in Watertown, Massachusetts, and

the Esopus Province, which was headquartered in New Jersey.

31 Up until August of 1992, as the Provincial of the Poughkeepsie Province of the Marist Brothers I lived

in a Marist community at Watertown. After August 1992, as Provincial of the Marist Brothers I lived in

a community in Pelham, NY. Geographically, the area of Chicago fell within my Province of

Poughkeepsie.

32 As of 1 July 2003, the two former United States Provinces came together to form the Province of the

United States with its Province office located in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Australian Marist Brothers in the United States

33 I am aware that since the 1980s, many Marist Brothers have come from Australia to the United

States to study at a variety of institutions.

34 I am also aware that in order to facilitate Australian brothers studying at Loyola College in Chicago,

the Australian Marist Brothers purchased some apartments in Chicago, where the Australian

Brothers could live while studying. To the best of my recollection, I have never been to those

apartments. ·

35 It is my recollection that in the 1980s and 1990s, the Provincial of the Marist Brothers in Australia

would visit that community reasonably often. I would sometimes catch up with the Provincial if he

also visited the East Coast during his travels.

36 The Australian Marist Brothers living and studying in Chicago, although temporarily resident in the

USA, were still answerable to the Provincial of the Marist Brothers in Australia. Although my province

extended hospitality to those brothers at Christmas and holidays, they were not a part of the United

States Marist Brothers and they operated independently from the Marist Brothers in the United

States. As Provincial of the Marist Brothers in the Poughkeepsie Province, I did not have any

jurisdiction over that community of Australian Marist Brothers.

Gregory Sutton

37 To the best of my recollection, I have never met the former Marist Brother Gregory Sutton (Sutton).

do have a vague recollection of hearing the name Gregory Sutton, but I do not recall ever meeting

hinn or talking to him.

38 I have been shown and have read the transcript of evidence given by Sutton to the Royal

Commission in Australia on 1 July 2014.

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Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Case Study 13: Marist Brothers I Witness Statement of Sean Sammon

39 I understand that in his evidence, Sutton has said that in around 1992 he phoned me, to tell me that

he had become aware that a warrant had been issued in Australia for his arrest, and to ask me for

my advice about what he should do. Sutton said in his evidence that I gave him advice to the effect

that he should stay where he was and "live his life".

40 I have no recollection of ever having such a conversation with Sutton, and I do not believe that I ever

had such a conversation with him. I have no knowledge of why he would say that he called me in

relation to a warrant in Australia, particularly when I am informed that he was no longer a Marist

Brother in 1992. I was not aware of him leaving the Mari st Brothers while in the United States. or of

him obtaining employment here. I only recently became aware that a warrant had been issued in

Australia for Sutton, and that Sutton was extradited from the United States, when I read media

articles relating to the current Royal Commission.

41 I believe that I would remember any such conversation, given my experience in the area of child

sexual abuse, my professional obligations, and my understanding of the need to comply with the

r·elevant laws, as I have outlined above. If a conversation did take place, I can certainly say that I

would not have advised Sutton to avoid an arrest warrant. It would be entirely out of character for me

to do so given my training, my profession, and my understanding of the issues around child sexual

abuse.

42 I also do not recall having conversations with other persons in relation to Sutton.

43 I have met Brother Alexis Turton many times during his visits to the United States and elsewhere and

I have had discussions with him from time to time in relation to the issue of child sexual abuse as well

as in relation to the financing and purchase of the apartments in Chicago, and other administrative

matters. I do not recall ever having conversations with Brother Turton or anyone else about Sutton.

Signature

Name Sean Sammon Name Michael Flanigan

Date 31 July 2014 Date 31 July 2014

I Signature ... ... .. . . .. ... ... ...... ... • .. ... .. .. .. ... .. . ... .. .... ... .. .. .. .. . ... . .. ... I Witness .................. ......... ............ ......... ........ .... ........ ...... .

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