SOUTH AFRICA
IOL
Melanie Peters
October 02 2005 at 06:38AM
A Cape Town Catholic priest has been convicted of indecently assaulting young boys when he was a trusted parish priest and chaplain at a church school in Green Point.
The Wynberg sexual offences court this week heard details of the priest's assaults on young boys who had little or no defence against him as a figure of authority.
After years of silence, the evidence of two victims, now adults, was read out in court. The two men were supported by their families who helped them deal with the traumatic experience of reliving the assaults.
The priest, Father Patrick Thornton, 76, who was sent on early retirement by the church after his arrest in July, pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault. The incidents took place between 15 and 20 years ago. He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, fully suspended subject to stringent conditions.