'No Noise, No Talking': Priest Plied Boys with 'Acrid-Tasting' Milo
By Mark Russell
AS FORMER Catholic priest David Rapson began to abuse boys one night at the Salesian College Rupertswood, he told another priest who was urging him to resist the temptation: ''God made us this way and it's his fault,'' a court has heard. One of Rapson's alleged victims claimed he had given a number of boys a cup of Milo that had an acrid taste before abusing them. Rapson, 59, has been charged with one count of rape, five counts of indecent assault, four counts of indecently assaulting a child under 16 and one count of gross indecency between 1973 and 1990. Rapson was a teacher and former vice-principal at Rupertswood. In a statement tendered to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday, a witness, 50, who cannot be named, said he had been a student at Rupertswood from 1977 to 1978, when he went to the infirmary one night after being stung by a bee. He said there had been a number of boys in the infirmary when Rapson walked in and told them: ''There's no noise, no talking, no shouting.'' ''He [Rapson] then said that everyone was going to have a Milo,'' the witness said. ''I remember the Milo tasted really strong and a bit acrid. ''I didn't want it but I was too afraid to say no. After the Milo it was lights out. ''I fell asleep and I remember waking up and feeling a bit groggy. Out of the blue I heard one of the kids yell out, 'What are you doing?' ''Rapson told him to shut up and be quiet or he would wake everyone up. The kid was crying and sort of whimpering. Rapson told him to go back to sleep and that he was having a bad dream. The kid said he wasn't dreaming. Rapson then threatened him with detention and that he would tell his parents. ''The kid then said, 'Well, I'll tell my parents what you're doing'. Rapson became really angry.'' The witness said after the shouts, Rapson made the boy another Milo. ''Everything was quiet after that.'' The alleged victim said Rapson went to each bed before another priest, Father Frank Klep, came into the room. ''Klep said, 'What are you doing?' ''Rapson said, 'You know what we do here'. Klep said, 'You've really got to resist'. Rapson blamed God and said, 'God made us this way and it's his fault. You're one to talk, you're the same as me.' ''Klep then said something along the lines of, 'I'm trying to resist it'.'' The alleged victim said while Rapson was assaulting him, the priest said: ''You're useless, you're no good.'' Another alleged victim told the court other students told him if you went to the infirmary ''they [the priests] would give you something to drink and then touch you up''. Klep was moved by the Salesians to Samoa in 1998 just before he was to face court on five charges of indecent assault, having served nine months, doing community work, in 1994. He returned to Australia in 2004 and was jailed in 2006 for five years and 10 months. The committal hearing for Rapson continues today. Contact: mrussell@theage.com.au
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