Victims detail abuse suffered under care of predator brother

Extra.ie​

29-06-2025

Edward Phiri is 37, the father of four young children aged between four and eight.
He lives in a one-room, mud-brick home in Mzuzu, Malawi, and supports his family by selling potions that his wife makes from herbs in the local market.
As a child, although Edward had parents, he often slept rough at the bus depot in the centre of Mzuzu. Edward Phiri and Makaiko Bando Chimaliro. Pic: File
In 1999, at age 11, Brother Aidan Clohessy invited Edward home to wash his clothes and bathe.
Then the abuse started. 'He used to wash my penis. Of course, I was young. I didn't know what was happening but most of the time when I took my bath he would come and take my penis – – touch my penis. Now, as I am mature, I can say he was doing it like masturbation. But I was young, and didn't understand.'
Edward was also physically punished, accused by Brother Aidan of stealing wine. The abuse and punishment led him to consider suicide.
'During my time, I used to even think to hang myself,' he told Extra.ie.
'I went home and I take strings. I even put strings up in the house to kill myself, but some neighbour passing by took me from those strings.' Aidan Clohessy, a former Christian Brother. Pic: Collins Courts
Today, despite Edward's experiences with St. John of God, he remains dedicated to religion, working alongside a local pastor.
'Brother Aidan, yeah, he was a man of God but you know sometimes the devil uses such people,' he said.
Edward told us that he is happy to speak out, as he hopes this will encourage others to come forward. In 2022, Edward sued Brother Aidan and the head of the St John of God order. The order ultimately settled for a life-changing but confidential sum, without admitting liability.
Looking to the future, Edward is planning to buy a farm and a house for his family.
'I think there is hope that somehow, something might change in my life,' he said.
Makaiko Bando Chimaliro is a 42-year-old gardener and father of five children aged between eight and 22. Makaiko and his wife and family live in a shed-like home made from mud bricks on the outskirts of Mzuzu. Aidan Clohessy, a former Christian Brother. Pic: Seán Dwyer
He met Brother Aidan on the streets of Mzuzu in January 1995, when he was 12.
'He was in the company of some black men,' Makaiko told Extra.ie. 'They approached us, and they said to us that the man worked for St John of God and he wanted to help us – to remove us from the streets because the streets are dangerous and we could easily be killed.
'We were happy that this white man was going to take care of us.'
Makaiko recalled being bathed by Brother Aidan.
He also spoke of beatings: 'If we didn't go to school, he would ask you to take off all your clothes and then lie down. Then he would whip you naked.'
Describing other abuse, he added: 'There were two bathrooms in Brother Aidan's yard – outside and in the house. When he tells you to go and bathe in the bathroom in the house, he would come there and then start having you help him masturbate.'
Makaiko remembers there were 'about 15' other boys living at Brother Aidan's compound. He said the boys slept inside Brother Aidan's house, but knew not to go inside when there were visitors or until the cook left each evening. Saint John of God. Pic: File
'The cook would leave, and then we were able to go into the house at around 7.30. But whenever the cook was in the house, we would never enter the house,' he recalled.
Makaiko said that he is angry at those who sent Brother Aidan to Malawi.
'What makes me angry is the fact that someone in Ireland knew that he was a risk to us, and they still decided to send him to Malawi to do the same work where he was exposed to more kids. That makes me disappointed and angry at the authorities for doing that.'
In 2023, Makaiko sued Brother Aidan and the head of the St John of God order.
The order settled for a life-changing but confidential sum, without admitting liability.
But Makaiko said: 'No matter how much compensation we get, it's not enough because the pain and the hurt goes deep. It's beyond compensation. There is no amount of money that can make up for the shame and the pain that we've gone through.' John Phiri. Pic: File
John Phiri is 36 years old and has never had a home or a steady job. He met Brother Aidan when he was just eight, living at the bus depot in Mzuzu, where street children slept.
He then went to live with Brother Aidan, where at first things were good.
'After four years, he began to treat us badly,' John told Extra.ie. 'He used to abuse us in different ways. He used to touch our buttocks.
'One day he gave me a soft drink, and in two minutes I fell down. I was knocked out. I didn't know what happened for some time.
'But when I got up, I realised my buttocks were hurting.
'I didn't know what was causing the pain until I went to the toilet. Then I realised something was wrong. The pain lasted for a whole four days.'
John went to hospital, where he was told: 'You've been raped.'
'I couldn't do anything because I was so young and I did not know what to do,' he recalled. 'It hurts me so much. How could a man have sex with me? I feel like I was robbed of my future. It hurts me. Sometimes I even want to kill myself.'
John said he wants those who put him at risk to face justice.
'The fact they knew he was a threat to kids here in Africa shows they are very bad people. What I want to say is I wish they would get arrested. I would be very happy to see that.'
Last year, John sued Brother Aidan and the head of the St John of God order, Donatus Forkan. The order settled for a life-changing but confidential sum, without admitting liability.
'I will try to start a business, to multiply that money and make life better,' John said. Stephen Chiumia. Pic: File
Stephen Chiumia is a 33-year-old carpenter from Mzuzu. He was orphaned as a child and grew up in the streets of the city, moving around daily to find shelter and food. In 1999, when he was aged 11, he met Brother Aidan.
'Brother Aidan said he could help us,' Stephen told Extra.ie when we met him in Mzuzu. 'He picked us up and took us to St John of God.'
Stephen then lived in Brother Aidan's walled compound, on the outskirts of Mzuzu, for five years, until he was 16.
Being bathed by Brother Aidan was a routine that took place two or three times a week.
'Sometimes he raped us, sometimes he played with our private parts, sometimes he beat us,' he recalled.
'Most of the things he was doing, he was doing when we went to the bathroom. He would take us to the bathroom, one after the other.'
Stephen and the other boys living in Brother Aidan's house felt imprisoned with no escape.
'We could not get out because there was a guard. The guard did not let us get out. His orders were not to let us get out.'
Stephen said he is still affected by the abuse he suffered.
'It hurts me that he did this to me. I can tell you if I met him today, things would not end well.'
In 2024, Stephen sued Brother Aidan and the head of the St John of God order. The order settled for a life-changing but confidential sum, without admitting liability.
But no one apologised, something Stephen mentioned that he would like. Instead, he said, 'They just gave me money'.