Frustration mounts as ex-Christian Brother remains uncharged, 1 year after his arrest

It's been more than a year since officers from the Vancouver Police Department showed up at Edward English's door in rural New Brunswick and told him he was under arrest.

The former Christian Brother served 10 years for abusing children at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John's. He's now accused of abusing students at a pair of British Columbia Catholic schools after being shuffled out of Newfoundland in 1975.

His former students were hopeful when he was arrested last year, but have since grown restless as investigators still haven't laid a single charge.

"I haven't heard anything," said Paul — not his real name — who is one of the complainants in the case. "It's just really, really frustrating."

Paul — who CBC is not naming as he is a complainant in a sexual assault case — first came forward in 2000, telling the RCMP in Burnaby, B.C. that he had been physically and sexually abused by English when he was in the eighth grade at St. Thomas More Collegiate in 1978.

He opted not to move forward with the complaint, saying it was too difficult to proceed.

Paul came forward again two years ago, giving statements as part of an investigation by the Vancouver Police Department.

The investigation spawned out of a class-action lawsuit alleging several groups were liable for moving six Christian Brothers out of Mount Cashel and placing them at Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate. The lawsuit alleges the schools and the Archdiocese of Vancouver ought to have known the men were accused of abusing children in Newfoundland.

English was eventually convicted for his role at Mount Cashel, but he's never been charged in British Columbia. Paul was hoping to change that, believing there would be some closure in the process of holding English accountable.

"I've been waiting almost 25 years since I did my interview with Burnaby police about something that happened 46 years ago at STM, and I'm just wanting some kind of justice," he said. "I'm just tired of this affecting my life. I just want to move on."

The Burnaby RCMP confirmed to CBC News last year it had opened an investigation into English's time at St. Thomas More Collegiate. The force has not given an update since.

Neither the Vancouver Police Department or Burnaby RCMP responded to requests for comment by publication time.

CBC News has spoken with three men who gave statements to police about English.

One — who we'll call Mark — said he spent hours giving statements, but hasn't heard anything back.

"It's affecting people's lives," he said. "There's people who are suicidal that braved the last two years of interviews and talking about it in hopes that they don't snap. And now, they've done all the steps they're supposed to do and they're being put to the side."

Mark described English as a tyrant, who frequently subjected students to physical and psychological abuse in the classroom. All three men are also alleging several instances of sexual abuse.

English declined comment when reached on Wednesday.

"I'm not going to discuss anything with you. Sorry," English said.

He has not responded to any of the claims put forward in the class-action lawsuit.

From cover up to Catholic school

English worked at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in 1975, when police began investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by the Christian Brothers.

He confessed to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary that year, but was spared criminal charges when the police, Department of Justice and Christian Brothers reached an agreement to shuffle him and another abusive brother out of the province.

English then landed at St. Thomas More Collegiate and later Vancouver College.

When news of the cover up came to light in 1989, English ended up facing 20 charges, the majority of which were indecent assault. 

English received one of the stiffest punishments of any Christian Brother at Mount Cashel, netting a 10-year prison sentence in 1991. 

The judge who presided over his trial sent a scathing message in his sentencing decision, calling English a "coward" and a "sadist who does not deserve to be called a Christian."

"I have been in the law now for 30 years, and this is my 11th year as a judge and about my 85th jury trial; and I should say this has been the worst trial I've had to preside over," Judge Gerald Lang told the courtroom.

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.