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	Xenophon Still Intends to Name Priest By Liza Kappelle Sydney Morning Herald September 13, 2011 http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/xenophon-still-intends-to-name-priest-20110913-1k6ro.html Independent senator Nick Xenophon has vowed to defy the Catholic Church and name and shame a priest accused of raping Adelaide-based Anglican Archbishop John Hepworth about 50 years ago. The South Australian senator overnight set the Archdiocese of Adelaide a deadline of midday (AEST) on Tuesday to stand down the priest or he would name him in the Senate under parliamentary privilege. However, the Archdiocese has told the senator it would not stand down the priest, who denies the allegations. Senator Xenophon on Tuesday released a three-page letter from the Archdiocese's legal representatives, Iles Selley Lawyers, advising him of its decision "as a matter of law". "Our client has thought long and hard about that issue and it concluded, after due consideration of the requirements of Canon law and the law concerning procedural fairness, that the decision to stand the priest down was not able to [be] supported as a matter of law," the letter says. Senator Xenophon said the letter left him with "no choice", although he hoped the church would "see sense" in the hours ahead. "My obligation is to John Hepworth and the parishioners," Senator Xenophon told reporters in Canberra. "I'm hoping they (the church) will see sense in the next few hours. "My next move is to discuss this matter in the Senate tonight. "If this priest is named tonight in the Senate, the Catholic Church in South Australia will only have itself to blame." Senator Xenophon said he had the Archbishop's support to name his alleged abuser. Asked if he had any concerns about potentially destroying a man's good name, Senator Xenophon replied that he believed everyone had the right to the presumption of innocence; however, serious allegations should not be swept under the carpet. Senator Xenophon said the church had appointed a prominent lawyer to investigate the allegations but that process had not begun. "I have no choice in this matter," he said. He said he had spoken on Tuesday to Archbishop Hepworth, who was dealing with a lot of trauma. "I think the trauma has been compounded by the way the Catholic Church in South Australia has not dealt with this," Senator Xenophon said. Archbishop Hepworth, 67, revealed on the weekend he was the victim of violent rapes at the hands of three priests beginning in 1960. At the time, Archbishop Hepworth, who is now the primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion in Adelaide, was a 15-year-old boy studying to be a priest. Claims against deceased priests Ronald Pickering and John Stockdale were settled in Melbourne. But claims relating to the third priest, who still runs a parish in SA and denies the claims, are not yet resolved. Archbishop Hepworth has said he broke away from the Catholic Church because of the 12 years of abuse. Senator Xenophon also rejected the Archdiocese's claim it was proceeding carefully with the investigation on the wishes of Archbishop Hepworth. "That's not the case, what John tells me is quiet different," he said. In the Senate on Monday night, Senator Xenophon called for Monsignor David Cappo to be sacked as chair of the first national mental health commission after the Gillard government appointed him to the role last week. Archbishop Hepworth reported the abuse to Monsignor Cappo in 2007 and gave him a detailed six-page statement in 2008. Monsignor Cappo had told Archbishop Hepworth this year the investigation was still at a "preliminary stage" because he had not lodged a formal complaint. He said Archbishop Hepworth did not want to approach the police to deal with the abuse, he wanted to seek justice internally through the church. Senator Xenophon is expected to name the priest in the Senate about 8.40pm (AEST).
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