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	Australian Priest Blames 12-year-old Victim for Abuse Saying She Encouraged Him By Bridgette P. LaVictoire Lez Get Real August 26 2010 http://lezgetreal.com/2010/08/australian-priest-blames-victim-for-abuse-saying-she-encouraged-him/ Father Murray Alexander Moffat will be spending a total of three months in jail after admitting to sexually abusing a young girl from 1978 to 1980. The Ipswich priest was assistant priest at Sacred Heart Church in Booval when he molested a girl who was twelve at the time. The abuse ended when she was fifteen. Rather than admitting that he was wrong, he made the decision to attack the victim of his abuse. According to Moffat, she encouraged it, and even kissed him first. In a taped conversation he stated “I made a mistake – you invited me. . .I should have said now but I didn’t. I thought you wanted me to do that. . .You were special to me.” According to Crown Proscecutor Sarah Farnden, the priest told the girl that she instigated the behavior, but it was “his mistake to allow her to do that.” Farnden has also stated that the priest was allowed to regularly spend time with the girl in her bedroom, and in 1980, the girl recalls being driven by her father to see an industrial fire at Bundamba with Moffat sitting in the front passenger seat and her behind him. Apparently, at the time, Moffat reached back and molested her. Moffat also, apparently, gave the girl gifts including a pushbike and an Easter egg. He also stated, according to the court, that he loved her and wanted to marry her. In 1995, the girl approached the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane to lodge a complaint, and it was referred over to Queensland Police. She did not take it further, but Moffat was sent on a ‘retreat’ where he had five counseling sessions with a psychiatrist. He returned to work a few months later. Moffat’s decision to blame the behavior on the girl, whose name has not been released, is not uncommon. Often times rapists and molesters blame the behavior of their victims for the actions that they undertake. Often time, a rapist will claim that a woman ‘instigated’ the behavior by wearing provocative clothing, or engaging in provocative behaviors, including accepting a drink from the person. By blaming the victim, Moffat is trying to excuse the inexcusable. His own behavior lead to him engaging in sexual abuse of a girl who had no idea what she may have been offering. He took advantage of her. Moffat pled guilty to three charges of indecent treatment of a child under age 16 and was sentenced to eighteen months in jail. This sentence will be suspended after he serves three months. According to his Defense barrister, Gary Long, Moffat has no prior criminal history and has been held in high regards by the community. Much of the reason for his light sentence undoubtably comes from the health problems that he now suffers from including heart issues and diabetes. Archbishop of Brisbane John Bathersby expressed deep remorse for the pain and suffering experienced by the woman who is not forty-three. He also expressed sadness for the grave abuse of trust and breach of pastoral care involved in this case. He stated “The Archdiocese offers a sincere apology to the victim. We credit her greatly her courage in coming forward to speak with the police so that justice might be achieved.” Moffat is no longer involved in any public priestly duties, and the Archbishop intends to initiate an investigation within the church to determine if any other punishments need to undertaken. He had his authorization to minister revoked upon pleading guilty. The spokesman for the Archdiocese stated “In the absence of charges being laid but to ensure that Fr Moffat posed no risk in continuing to undertake his priestly duties, the Archdiocese had Fr Moffat professionally assessed by a psychologist.” One can only hope that the Archbishop and the archdiocese will take into account the fact that this man has chosen to blame his victim for her behavior while pleading guilty.
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