By Catherine Hockley
Adelaide Now
October 11, 2011
www.adelaidenow.com.au/businessman-graham-spurling-defends-rape-accused-priest-monsignor-ian-dempsey/story-e6frea6u-1226164299502
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| Independent senator Nick Xenophon speaking in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith |
PROMINENT Adelaide businessman Graham Spurling has defended an Adelaide priest accused of rape.
Mr Spurling, who is the former head of Mitsubishi in Australia and ex-chairman of the Adelaide archdiocese's finance council, says the priest, Monsignor Ian Dempsey, is "an innocent individual".
Mr Spurling, claims the archdiocese is under attack and calls for church members to "stand up and be publicly counted".
John Hepworth, an Archbishop in a breakaway Anglican group, has accused Monsignor Dempsey of rape alleged to have occurred when the two were young priests more than 40 years ago. Monsignor Dempsey has denied the allegation.
Senator Nick Xenophon named Monsignor Dempsey in Federal Parliament a month ago, criticising the Adelaide archdiocese over claimed delays in dealing with the allegations.
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Mr Spurling said "a very good and trusted friend of mine is being unjustifiably publicly pilloried and defamed by an opportunistic politician, a sensationalist press and a bishop".
He claimed that "our leaders are being targeted", with Adelaide vicar-general Monsignor David Cappo forced to step down as inaugural chairman of the Federal Government's new National Mental Health Commission because of the controversy.
"Dark forces are shouting from the roof tops," Mr Spurling said.
He calls on church members to speak out over the case.
"Our silence is deafening," he said. "Are we, the laity of our Church willing to speak out and stand and be counted?"
But Senator Xenophon said yesterday: "For years the Adelaide Archdiocese failed to act appropriately on this matter, and was willing to let serious allegations go untested and unresolved. Proper action by the church would have prevented any action by me."
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