PAEDOPHILE Christian Brother Robert Charles Best has lodged an appeal relating to his conviction for sex crimes against school boys.Last month Best, 70, was jailed for 14 years and nine months for sex crimes against 11 boys at schools in Ballarat, Box Hill and Geelong.Many of Best’s victims were aged between eight and 11 when he abused them while a school teacher and principal between 1969 and 1988. On September 1, Best lodged an appeal relating to two of the five matters for which he was sentenced. A County Court spokesperson was unable yesterday to say which aspect of the conviction the appeal relates to. Best had earlier pleaded guilty to, or been found guilty of, 27 child sex offences against boys at schools he taught at between 1969 and 1988. He had initially contested these charges.A spokesperson for the Christian Brothers Oceania, which funded Best’s defence in the trial, said last month that Best maintained his innocence. Best remains a member of the Christian Brothers order. One of Best’s victims living in Ballarat but who cannot be named for legal reasons said yesterday the appeal was “ridiculous”. “He has every right to appeal, and it is just another step in the legal process, but what does he hope to prove? His credibility is already gone completely,” the victim said. “I know that there are victims of Best who still have not come forward, and I say to them please come forward now so his crimes can be fully known.” His offences occurred at St Leo’s Christian Brothers College at Box Hill, St Joseph’s College in Geelong and St Alipius at Ballarat where Best raped a nine-year-old male student.He was sentenced in the Victorian County Court on August 8 and ordered by Judge Roy Punshon to serve 11 years and three months in jail before being eligible for parole. Since 1996, six juries have convicted Best of sexual assaults against young boys. When sentenced in August Best was already in jail serving four separate terms for indecent assaults against boys at his schools.It is also expected civil action will be brought relating to offences committed by Best and victims have called for a parliamentary enquiry into as many as 30 suicides linked to Best’s crimes. A spokesperson for the Christian Brothers Oceania declined to comment for this story.Follow @TomMcIlroy