Alberta man challenges U.K. extradition order for historical child sexual abuse allegations

An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.

Peter Murray of Wetaskiwin, about 70 kilometres south of Edmonton, is accused of assaulting 17 young students at boarding schools between 1965 and 1972, while he was a teacher in Scotland.

He is appealing the decision of the Canadian justice who approved his extradition, according to his defence lawyer.

No charges have been laid; in Scotland, charges are released when an accused appears in court.

The accusations, detailed in Justice T.G. Rothwell’s decision dated Feb. 18, 2026, and stemming from information from Scotland, come from incidents involving a monk named Brother Peter at St Ninian’s List D School and St Joseph’s List D School. Both schools were operated by the De La Salle Order, a Roman Catholic religious order.

The document includes a slew of allegations, including from a then nine-year-old that Brother Peter inappropriately touched him, that Brother Peter sexually assaulted another boy weekly who was between 11 and 13 years old at the time and that Brother Peter repeatedly punched or slapped a different child when he was between nine and 12 years old.

Murray is accused of being Brother Peter.

In an affidavit tendered to the justice, Murray strongly denies the accusations, adding he has lived in Canada for more than 50 years and, having worked as a teacher and vice-principal in Alberta, “has never been accused of acting inappropriately with any child.”

Murray’s lawyer pointed to a Cambridge University program in 1969 and 1970 that Murray attended, which is more than 640 kilometres from one of the schools, as proof Murray was not at the school when some of the alleged incidents occurred.

The justice, in the written decision, said that while there may be discrepancies in Murray’s employment records, “[t]he weighing of evidence by the Extradition Court does not involve consideration of defences or excuses.”

Rothwell ruled that Murray is the person being sought in the case. 

While he has been approved for extradition, the decision on whether to surrender Murray to the U.K. rests with Canada’s justice minister.

“An individual sought for extradition has the right to make submissions that the minister must consider in their decision. We cannot speculate on the timing of the minister’s decision,” wrote Kwame Bonsu, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, in an email to CBC News.

Stacey Purser, a lawyer representing Murray, said the approval for extradition has been difficult on her client.