Priest 'Kept Silence on Sex Abuse'

By Neil Keene
The Daily Telegraph
January 5, 2013

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/priest-kept-silence-on-sex-abuse/story-e6freuy9-1226547828103

A RETIRED Catholic priest allegedly concealed his knowledge about the repeated sexual assault of a nine-year-old boy for more than 20 years.

Police from Strike Force Georgiana charged the 81-year-old yesterday morning after a seven-month investigation. They allege he failed to disclose serious child sex offences by another man on a nine-year-old boy between 1982 and 1984 at Port Stephens and a beach in Newcastle.

The priest, who worked in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese from the 1970s to the 1990s, was charged with being an accessory before the fact to the indecent assault of a child and failing to inform police about a crime.

He was granted bail to appear in court on January 29.

It is another blow to the church following accusations of a cover-up last year.