Former Teachers Speak out on Abuse Allegations

By Jean Edwards
ABC News
September 17, 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-18/teachers-speak-out-on-priest--sex-abuse-allegations/4267136?section=vic

[with video]

Two former Catholic school teachers have broken their silence about sex abuse in the Doveton parish in Melbourne's south-east.

They say the church covered up or ignored their repeated pleas for something to be done about a predatory priest.

Graeme Sleeman, a former school principal and teacher, resigned from his job in the mid-1980s in a desperate bid to force the church to stop Father Peter Searson from sexually abusing children at the Holy Family School.

"I was contemplating suicide because I did not see a way out of the problem that the church had created," he said.

"I'd stood up for the rights of children. I'd stood up for the right of the church and I'd been cast aside.

"In many ways I feel saddened, because those people couldn't make the right decisions years ago."

The church says it examined Searson's conduct, but nothing firm could be established under the processes that were then in place.

Mr Sleeman made a statement to police last month.

He has also revealed that the church's independent commissioner gave him $90,000 over several years in a gesture of compassion.

Peter O'Callaghan, QC, says it was a one-off and it was paid for no other reason than to give him some assistance.

Carmel Rafferty, another former school teacher, has also come forward, saying she was shut down and shut out when she spoke out.

"They need to face the truth, they should face the truth, and it's unfortunate that they don't," she said.

"To speak to people who really didn't want to hear was a lost cause and it was also a pretty frightening position to be in. I felt unsafe, myself."

In what is thought to have been a first, Newcastle police charged a former priest with covering up abuse, last month.

Former Victorian police officer Glenn Davies hopes it might set a precedent.

"What it will do, is it will alert Victoria Police, it will alert the inquiry that this is an option that they need to look at," he said.

Graeme Sleeman and Carmel Rafferty are also making submissions to the Victorian Parliamentary inquiry into the handling of complaints of sex abuse. The deadline for submissions is on Friday.