Police urging Best victims to come forward

ERIN PEARSON
POLICE are calling on unknown victims of convicted Geelong paedophile Robert Charles Best to come forward after he pleaded guilty to a string of fresh charges this week.
Best, 70, whose 20-year criminal history includes sex assaults on St Joseph’s College schoolboys, had his court cases suppressed until earlier this week.
The former teacher has 21 previous convictions across four trials for sex crimes between 1969 and 1988.
He pleaded guilty this week to six sex abuse-related charges against three more boys aged 11 to 12 during his time at St Joseph’s.
Geelong Police Detective Sergeant Kevin Carson, who has overseen investigations into Best’s sex crimes since 2002, said he had “no doubt” more victims had yet to come forward.
“We know there are many, many more victims out there and we urge them to contact us,” Det Sgt Carson said.
“If anyone needs to talk to police all they have to do is call.”
Det Sgt Carson said Best’s victims were struggling to understand why the Catholic Church financially defended the Christian Brother through six trials.
“They’re coping all right with the court cases but not the fact that so much money was put behind Best’s defence over the years.
“But nothing is easy with Robert Charles Best.”
Best taught at Newtown’s St Joseph’s between 1985 and 1989.
He was jailed in 1998 for two years for indecently assaulting two Victorian schoolboys.
Earlier police charged him in 1996 with eight counts of indecent assault on five boys aged 11 to 12 while working at Ballarat’s St Alipius parish primary school.
Best was this week remanded in custody to appear for a pre-sentence hearing on July 25.
• Victims of sex assaults can contact Barwon Centre Against Sexual Assault to arrange free, confidential counselling on 24-hour crisis line 1800 806 292.