Teacher Hounded out of School

ABC News
February 28, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-28/teacher-hounded-out-of-school/4546424?section=vic

[with video]

The Victorian enquiry into sexual abuse in religious organisations has heard how a teacher who blew the whistle on a priest who was abusing a student, was hounded out of his job.

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: A teacher has told Victoria's parliamentary inquiry into sexual abuse that he was hounded from his job at a Catholic school after reporting a priest for allegedly interfering with a child.

The inquiry was hearing from witnesses in Ballarat, the city where at least 40 deaths have been blamed on sexual abuse by priests and brothers.

Lateline's Hamish Fitzsimmons was there.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: People attending the hearings had been expecting more horrible stories of the abuse that occurred in the goldfield city decades ago. But a teacher who has recently left a Catholic school in the same diocese has shocked many with his revelations.

MICHAEL CROWE, SCHOOL TEACHER: In 2011 I was forced, blackmailed, into signing a separation agreement with the employer priest. This was a direct result of witnessing a then parish priest (inaudible) interfere with a child and groom children at the school.

This happened in an out-of-the-way office that the priest insisted on using to conduct one-on-one private meetings with young children behind a closed door and totally out of view, despite my objections.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Mr Crowe told the inquiry he's been the target of constant abuse since reporting the matter while he still worked at the school.

MICHAEL CROWE: I was persecuted, harassed, silenced, bullied and victimised by him, his school leadership group, his superiors and the Catholic education system.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Mr Crowe says Victoria Police were notified about the incident and his reports to his superiors in the Catholic education system were disastrous for his personally.

MICHAEL CROWE: An act of reprisal was raising vexatious allegations of misconduct against me. This was aimed at destroying my credibility and keep me busy defending myself.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Mr Crowe's wife Carol told the hearing of the toll reporting the incident has taken on her family. Their children have had to move schools and the constant harassment made them leave the town.

CAROL CROWE: We even started getting hang-up phone calls to our house and would have staff members doing slow drives past our house and things like that. We felt very under siege throughout this and that's why we've moved twice. We moved once out of town and now we've moved away.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: But the recently-retired head of the Ballarat diocese which covers the school in question, Bishop Peter Connors, told the ABC, "No-one has complained to him about improper behaviour by a priest in that particular town over the last 15 years."

Earlier, the hearing heard from abuse survivors who had suffered at the hands of Catholic priests and brothers in Ballarat and other places.

Police research has identified at least 40 deaths attributed to the sexual abuse in Ballarat. Today was a day for the survivors to tell their stories.

KEITH WHELAN, ABUSE SURVIVOR: First of all, in some way I feel as if I'm a lucky one. Thanks for the opportunity.

PETER BLENKIRON, ABUSE SURVIVOR: No more deaths. I understand from living it and even when I was in the middle that I didn't fully understand how you get to that point, but the reality is you do.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Throughout the hearings, people in the public gallery sobbed as survivor after survivor spoke about the devastating effects the sexual abuse has had on their lives.

Tim Lane and his brother were abused at the Saint Alipius School in Ballarat. John Lane committed suicide at 19.

TIM LANE, ABUSE SURVIVOR: Pain and loss their dear brother, John. He'll never be replaced. Not by any amount of money.

ROBERT WALSH, ABUSE SURVIVOR: In Grade Six, I became an altar boy. I was sexually abused by (inaudible). I was raped by him. I was also sexually abused by Christian Brother Robert Best.

PAUL TATCHELL, ABUSE SURVIVOR: You get put into a position where you can't get out of it and you're locked in the room. Thing's that, yes, look, even as an old man today I'm embarrassed about, yes. I was raped by a bloke. I mean, it's an incredibly humiliating thing.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Catholic Church was approached for comment and will appear at the inquiry before it finishes in September.

Hamish Fitzsimmons, Lateline.