Father Reginald Basil Durham

Father Reginal Basil Durham was the full-time chaplain of St Joseph’s Orphanage, Neerkol (near Rockhampton, Qld) and parish priest appointed and responsible to the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. The Orphanage itself was conducted by the Rockhampton Sisters of Mercy for half a century until it closed in 1978. When Father Reg Durham was the chaplain and parish priest, he lived at St Joseph’s.

In Case Study No. 26 - The response of the Sisters of Mercy, the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton and the Queensland Government to allegations of child sexual abuse at St Joseph’s Orphanage, Neerkol – the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard that Father Reginald Durham was one of the worst offenders of sexual abuse at the Orphanage. The Royal Commission heard from various victims of Father Durham. In particular, one victim stated that she had been raped more than 100 times from the age of 11.

On 6 February 1997, Queensland Police charged Father Durham with 40 sexual offences against six complainants.  In February 1999, the District Court in Queensland sentenced Reginald Durham to 18 months jail (with parole after four months).  After Durham was released from jail, he was put on trial again, charged with raping a 14-year-old orphan girl ("Sally") at the orphanage in 1966. This time he pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was found guilty by a second jury and sentenced to 7 years 6 months jail with no recommendation for parole. Father Durham was granted leave to appeal the sentence. In 2001, Durham, who was aged 83 at the time of his appeal, then applied to be excused from further prosecution on the ground that he was now "physically and psychologically unfit" to stand trial. This application was granted but in 2002 Father Durham died.

Moody Law has represented clients in the past who have made allegations of being sexually and physically abused within the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. Also, Moody Law is currently representing a client who has made allegations of sexual and physical abuse against Father Durham during his placement at Neerkol Orphanage.

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