Priest's Abuse Concealed: ABC

By Jared Owens
The Australian
July 3, 2012

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/priests-abuse-concealed-abc/story-e6frg6nf-1226415113428

[Unholy Silence - ABC Four Corners]

THREE senior Catholic clerics who investigated alleged sexual abuse may have covered up a priest's confessions that he assaulted five young altar boys in the 1980s, some of whom later committed suicide.

The church's investigative panel was convened in 1992 to assess allegations of abuse levelled against a single priest over his time at Moree, in northern NSW, and at Sydney's Parramatta diocese.

ABC-TV's Four Corners last night revealed stark inconsistencies between the panel's internal report, and a file note created at the time and referred to in public.

The panel comprised current Australian Catholic Bishops Conference general-secretary Brian Lucas, current Armidale vicar-general Wayne Peters and another priest, John Usher.

Father Lucas and Father Usher told the program the priest made no admissions during the meeting on September 3, 1992, while Father Peters said the accused priest admitted only "instances of misconduct" that would not "incriminate him".

The file note indicated no admissions were made by the accused priest, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, although it was recommended he be stripped of his right to perform mass because he did not seem credible.

But the panel's internal report, written by Father Peters and obtained from separate court proceedings, indicates the accused priest admitted he "sexually interfered" with five boys aged 10 and 11 while assistant priest at Moree. He also allegedly admitted fellating and fondling the genitals of two young boys, according to the ABC report.

The allegations raise questions about whether any of the clerics involved breached NSW laws preventing individuals from covering up serious offences.

The separate NSW District Court proceedings related to an extortion attempt against the accused priest by one of his alleged former victims, Daniel Powell, who hanged himself in 2007.

Giving evidence in those proceedings, the accused priest admitted making admissions of oral sex to the church panel.