Senior Catholic Asked to Stand Aside

By Rory Callinan
Theage.com.au
August 20, 2012

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/senior-catholic-asked-to-stand-aside-20120819-24gl4.html

A SENIOR Catholic official has been called on to stand aside from the board of a Canberra secondary school after revelations he did not report a paedophile priest to law enforcement.

Father Jim Littleton, who sits on the board of Daramalan College, failed to alert police to child abuse allegations involving Melbourne parish priest Peter Chalk in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The Age has uncovered evidence that police conducted a secret bugging operation of a meeting between Chalk's victims and Father Brian Gallagher from Chalk's order, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) in 1994.

During the meeting victims learnt that Father Littleton and other senior figures in the order were aware of the abuse allegations for years but did not tell the police.

Yesterday one of Chalk's victims, Peter Murphy, who was abused at age 12, said Father Littleton should consider standing down from his board role at the MSC-operated school while an investigation could be conducted into how the church dealt with the Chalk matter.

"Until they have sorted out the question of how this happened then there are questions as to why he should be sitting on a school board. Perhaps he should stand aside until any sort of inquiry can be done," said Mr Murphy, who was abused by Chalk when the priest visited his home for dinner with his mother.

Mr Murphy who was wired up by police to record the meeting between victims and Father Gallagher, said he wanted the role of senior MSC officials to be examined by the newly established Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other organisations.

Mr Murphy said he had a clear recollection of the meeting independent of the recording.

Daramalan College's website yesterday listed Father Littleton as a member of the college board and says he is the chairman of its policy review committee and a member of its governance committee, as well as co-ordinator of ministry at the school and facilitating the work of the student youth ministry team.

The Age last month emailed questions to Father Littleton about his handling of the Chalk matter, including whether it was appropriate for him to have a board role with the school.

MSC Provincial Superior John Mulrooney confirmed Father Littleton had gone to Japan and questioned Chalk. He said Chalk denied the allegations and Father Littleton "accepted that at the time".

He said in his written response: "But it is quite clear that this would not be the case should the same allegations arise today."

Mr Mulrooney said in those days police contact was felt to be a matter for the family and for the victims.

"We did not have the modern church and state regulatory arrangements, which provide very clear guidelines and police involvement through mandated reporting by all clergy and religions," he said.

There is no suggestion Chalk had any connection to Daramalan.

Efforts to contact Daramalan principal Rita Daniels yesterday were unsuccessful. Daramalan Parents and Friends president Pauline Luchetti declined to comment.