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	Priest Writes to Xenophon over Naming ABC News September 20, 2011 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-20/priest-dempsey-xenophon-privilege-letter/2907328 [with video] The Adelaide priest named as an alleged rapist by Senator Nick Xenophon has hit back, saying his reputation has been irreparably smeared and denigrated. Senator Xenophon named Monsignor Ian Dempsey under parliamentary privilege earlier this month. Now Monsignor Dempsey has written to Senator Xenophon to protest his innocence. He says his Adelaide parishioners, Navy personnel, friends and family know him as an honourable and trustworthy chaplain. "Hardly the accolades an alleged rapist would receive," he wrote. "You have shot the wounded, you who proclaim to be an advocate of those who are hurting in our society." Monsignor Dempsey said he had not been charged with any offence and had not been interviewed by the Archbishop's lawyers. He said Senator Xenophon went ahead with naming and shaming him, relying on information from a single source and having refused offers from the Adelaide Archdiocese for a briefing. Monsignor Dempsey explained his decision not to stand down while allegations were dealt with. "With my integrity and background as a Catholic priest ... I thought that I was honest enough not to have to stand down and continue my priestly ministry," he said. Monsignor Dempsey said he had been receiving hate mail, but held no grudge against anyone over the matter. "All I want from all this sordid episode is that the truth will come out," he said. Senator Xenophon has written back to Monsignor Dempsey, saying he felt compelled to name the priest because of a lack of progress by the Adelaide Catholic Archdiocese in dealing with sexual assault allegations. Senator Xenophon says shooting the messenger is not going to exonerate the Adelaide Archdiocese over what he calls a fundamental failure to investigate events alleged to have happened decades ago. The man who raised the sex abuse allegations Archbishop John Hepworth has responded to Monsignor Dempsey's view that he is not a credible source for the Senator to have relied on. "Two years after we petitioned for unity of the Holy See through the Pope [it] granted our petition, so there is at least some credibility in what I achieved," he said. "It was never my intention that this should go to Parliament or indeed be dealt with in the glare of publicity, there was no particular witch-hunt against the person that I had named."
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