Retired Alberta teacher, 87, challenging extradition to U.K. to face abuse charges

Edmonton Law Courts are shown in Edmonton on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON — The lawyer for an 87-year-old retired teacher from central Alberta is set to make a pitch this week to stop him from being extradited to Scotland on decades-old abuse charges involving 17 children.

Lawyer Stacey Purser says there are big gaps in the case and that a decision to send Peter Murray to Scotland at his age would have profound consequences.

“(In Scotland), cases like this have taken about five years (to complete),” Purser said in an interview.

“So you surrender someone who’s 88 years old (next month) … you’re basically just surrendering him to await trial for the rest of his life and not have anything actually happen."

Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has been tasked with making the decision.

Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice Thomas Rothwell ruled in February that there’s enough evidence against Murray to have the minister decide on extradition.

Murray lives in Wetaskiwin, south of Edmonton, and is out on bail.

“(Murray) obviously denies the allegations,” Purser said.

“It’s incredibly stressful. It’s shocking for his family. He’s a dad, a (grandfather) and a great-grandfather who (taught) in Wetaskawin for years … so I would be shocked and disappointed if the minister agreed to extradite him.”

Rothwell’s Feb. 18 decision says most of the alleged assaults took place between 1965 and 1972, while Murray allegedly worked at two schools operated by the De La Salle Order in Scotland.

He began teaching at St Ninian’s in 1965, when he was 27. He also worked at St Joseph’s before moving to Canada in 1972, the document says.

Murray was allegedly known as “Brother Peter” at the schools.

He’s accused of touching, groping or sexually assaulting students while they were sleeping and showering.

In one instance, he allegedly stepped on and broke a teen’s ankle. In another, he’s accused of twisting and breaking a boy’s wrist.

He’s accused of stabbing a student in the stomach with a sharp pencil and a screwdriver. He also allegedly dragged multiple students by their hair.

“(One minor) described assaults on him and other students that were so frequent it seemed normal, and daily battering of students with any objects at hand and by punching or kicking,” the document says.

Purser said Murray is not the Brother Peter whom the complainants want to bring to justice. She said news reports in Scotland have said the Brother Peter sought in the case had died.

Rothwell says in his ruling that there are questions around the evidence but not enough to change his mind on sending the case to the justice minister for a decision on extradition.

“Even if I accept there are gaps in the evidence, the issues raised by the defence are issues for trial,” the judge said.

“There is sufficient evidence in the (case) upon which a reasonably instructed jury acting reasonably could infer Peter Murray is the man the complainants called ‘Brother Peter.’”

The extradition case is far from settled.

Purser is also appealing the judge’s decision to send the case to Fraser and, if necessary, could appeal the minister’s decision.

She also plans to fight the case on broader issues in the submissions she plans to send Friday to Fraser’s office.

Purser said a House of Commons standing committee on justice made numerous recommendations in a 2023 report to reform the extradition system., but they haven’t been adopted.

The suggestions include changes to help those facing extradition to challenge the case being made against them and to compel Canadian justice officials to disclose anything that could compromise or weaken the request of the country seeking extradition.

Purser said she still hasn’t heard from the federal government on possible records it has on Murray.

Fraser has until about mid-May to make a decision and has the option to extend that timeline.

“We cannot speculate on the timing of the minister’s decision,” the federal ministry said in an email this week.

Purser said Murray has a clean teaching record in Alberta, where he taught for years and won awards.

He “never had anyone even suggest that he acted inappropriately towards kids,” the lawyer said.

“Just the suggestion that someone has committed all of these horrific acts for so long, then came to Canada and quit cold turkey and were on their best behaviour seems a bit far-fetched for me.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2026.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press