Ex-Vice-Principal Faces Rape Charges in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court

By Shannon Deery
The Australian
November 13, 2012

www.theaustralian.com.au/news/ex-vice-principal-faces-rape-charges-in-the-melbourne-magistrates-court/story-e6frg6n6-1226516072325

A FORMER vice-principal of a Catholic boys school embroiled in one of the state's biggest alleged child sex abuse cover-ups has faced court charged with abusing seven boys.

Former priest David Rapson appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court today charged with abusing the boys while teaching at Salesian College Rupertswood, in Sunbury, between 1973 and 1990.

Rapson is charged with one count each of rape and gross indecency and a string of indecent assault charges.

The Herald Sun revealed last year up to seven priests and brothers at the college have been linked to secret payouts to students who alleged they were abused between the 1960s and the 1990s.

Victims of the men at the centre of the scandal accused the Salesian priests of a 40-year cover-up.

Each of the seven men from Rupertswood was moved from the college about the time allegations were first made.

In documents tendered in court today one alleged victim, who cannot be named, accused Rapson of abusing him just weeks after he started at the college.

He said the incident came in his second week as a boarder at the college during a medical exam performed by Rapson.

“We were told not to laugh and if we did it would prove we liked males,” he said.

“We were told it was a medical examination and we were told to pull our pants down to our knees.”

The man said in his police statement he feared if he did not comply with the priest’s demands he would be punished with physical violence.

“Rapson walked up in front of me and grabbed hold of my penis and lifted it up. He then fondled my testicles and had a feel for about a minute.”

The court heard some of the allegations made to police about Rapson dated to 2000.

Brad Newton, for Rapson, said with the announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard of a Royal Commission into sexual abuse against children in religious institutions his client would be unable to get a fair trial.

“It’s going to be hard enough for this accused man to get a fair trial in the country let alone the state,” he said.

Police files in relation to three other former Salesians, Fr Julian Fox, Fr Frank Klep and Fr Michael Aulsebrook, have been subpoenaed.

All three men rose to senior positions at the college.

Klep and Aulsebrook have both been convicted of sex offences against students.

In 2004, the Australian chapter of the Salesians was engulfed in global scandal after it was alleged local superiors had moved priests accused of sexual assaults across international and state borders to evade authorities.

Fr Frank Klep was already a convicted child molester and wanted on more charges in Australia when, in 1998, the Salesians assigned him to a college in Samoa, where he was photographed dispensing lollies to children after Mass.

Several other priests remain overseas amid claims they were sent there to evade authorities.

Fr Julian Fox now lives at the Salesian headquarters in Rome, near the Vatican, and heads the order's communications division.

One former Salesian College teacher, Fr Jack Ayers, was moved to Samoa with convicted colleague Fr Frank Klep in 1998.

It had been alleged Ayers abused boys during the 1960s and 1970s.

It is believed Ayers died earlier this year with victims saying he will now never be brought to justice.