AUSTRALIA
The Age
By Catharine Munro
December 24, 2004
The Anglican Church will appoint a senior lawyer to investigate complaints of sexual misconduct by a well-known priest and journalist.
Father James Murray, 77, a retired clergyman and religious affairs editor at The Australian, yesterday confirmed that the church was looking into events that allegedly occurred 47 years ago.
But he would neither confirm nor deny whether the claims filed in March by two men were true because he could not remember the complainants, he said.
"I'm not against the truth being told and I certainly am not a person who would be anything but ashamed of the behaviour," Father Murray said.
He refused to comment further and said he would be interviewed by church investigators next month.
"The church's processes is the one that will have to be gone through," he said.
Posted by kshaw at December 23, 2004 10:50 AM