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	Rann Slams Xenophon for Naming Priest 9 News September 14, 2011 http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8302174/rann-slams-xenophon-for-naming-priest South Australian Premier Mike Rann has lashed out at independent Senator Nick Xenophon for using parliamentary privilege to name a Catholic priest accused of rape. Mr Rann told state parliament on Wednesday Senator Xenophon's actions were about seeking publicity for himself and not justice for the alleged victim. He said Senator Xenophon had also spoken out against a similar action when he was a state MP several years ago. In 2005, when another MP threatened to useparliamentary privilege to name someone suspected of sexual offences, the premier said it was Senator Xenophon who was critical of the move. Mr Rann said the senator had commented at the time that things had got "way out of control" and too many people in the community were convinced that someone was guilty, without real evidence. "So naming a person in parliament, unsupported by evidence, rather than telling the complainant to go to the police, is really about publicity for the MP," he said. "Because it isn't about justice for the victims. "This is a very serious matter. Any allegations of rape are a serious matter. "We're not talking about weird behaviour, we're talking about criminal behaviour. "It's not to be played games with." Mr Rann's comments came as the priest at the centre of the allegations categorically denied raping the Adelaide Archbishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion, John Hepworth, decades ago. Speaking under parliamentary privilege, Senator Xenophon on Tuesday named the priest as Monsignor Ian Dempsey, a parish priest in the Adelaide seaside suburb of Brighton. Monsignor Dempsey on Wednesday denied the claims in a brief statement read to journalists. "I categorically deny the allegations which I note are said to relate to events that occurred some 45 years ago, and they have nothing at all to do with underage people," he said.
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