Priest Takes a Holiday after Rape Claim Story Breaks, by Tony Wright, The Age, September 15, 2011

Priest Takes a Holiday after Rape Claim Story Breaks

By Tony Wright
The Age
September 15, 2011

http://www.theage.com.au/national/priest-takes-a-holiday-after-rape-claim-story-breaks-20110914-1k9re.html

Catholic priest Ian Dempsey.

''THE priest now says he is going on annual leave. Why couldn't he have done it yesterday?'' Senator Nick Xenophon asked.

''I didn't want to do what I did. I waited until the very last moment - I put myself down for the last speaking spot in the Senate last night, waiting and hoping that the church would contact me and tell me the priest was being placed on leave pending an investigation.

''But it didn't happen, and I felt I had no choice but to go ahead.''

Senator Xenophon was speaking about his use of parliamentary privilege to name a South Australian priest he said raped a trainee Catholic priest - now an Anglican archbishop - more than 40 years ago.

Senator Xenophon told The Age he had not taken the step lightly and had lost sleep reaching his decision.

But he said he had no regrets about using the cloak of parliamentary privilege, which protects politicians from criminal or civil liability for making statements that might otherwise be defamatory.

''Parliamentary privilege is the last resort. That's what it is there for,'' he said.

Senator Xenophon named Monsignor Ian Dempsey, a parish priest in Adelaide, as the man who allegedly raped John Hepworth - now the Anglican Archbishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion

Monsignor Dempsey categorically denied the allegations yesterday and pointed out they related to events 45 years ago ''and have nothing at all to do with under-age people''.

Monsignor Dempsey said he was taking a month's annual leave from this weekend.

Senator Xenophon said he had known Archbishop Hepworth for some years, and had been moved when he read at the weekend of the alleged rape when he had been a young man.

Senator Xenophon has previously raised matters of sexual assault relating to the Anglican Church in South Australia.

South Australian Premier Mike Rann pointed out yesterday that his government had removed the statute of limitations to ensure perpetrators of sexual crimes could be charged, no matter how long ago the offence might have occurred.

''In SA it used to be the case that sex offenders, including rapists and paedophiles who committed crimes prior to 1982, couldn't be prosecuted,'' he broadcast on Twitter.

South Australian Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham criticised Senator Xenophon for using Parliament rather than taking the matter to police.

''It's not the role of politicians to play police, prosecutor, judge and jury,'' he said.

Senator Xenophon said Archbishop Hepworth did not want to go to the police and hoped the Catholic Church would have expedited an investigation, which Senator Xenophon said would have prevented Monsignor Dempsey's name being made public.