Priest to Face Child Indecency Charges

By Michael Inman, Peter Jean and Christopher Knaus
Canberra Times
June 1, 2013

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/priest-to-face-child-indecency-charges-20130531-2nhvu.html

A Canberra Catholic priest has been charged over historical acts of indecency on a child in the 1990s.

Father Edward Evans, 83, of Braddon, will face the ACT Magistrates Court next week to answer allegations he groped the girl, aged between 10 and 16 years, three times.

The elderly priest has pledged to fight the charges.

The three offences allegedly occurred between 1995 and 1997 at Father's Evans' Braddon home, according to police.

Father Evans has a long association with Canberra's German Catholic community. He has worked as a German-language chaplain for the German community in Canberra, and represents the country's Catholic mission.

Father Evans formerly worked from St Patrick's Catholic Church in Braddon, a church that conducts Masses in German every Sunday.

The priest was the subject of a ''lengthy investigation'' by Criminal Investigations detectives.

ACT Policing said officers arrested him at City Police Station on Wednesday afternoon. He was charged and granted police bail, subject to a number of conditions.

Father Evans is expected to appear in court on June 7.

The accused man's lawyer, Ben Aulich, told Fairfax Media in a statement that his client would fight the allegations.

''I hold instructions to enter pleas of not guilty to the charges before the court,'' Mr Aulich said.

''My client has faith in the criminal justice system and is anxious to have this matter heard and to clear his name.''

The Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra declined to comment on the matter.

ACT Policing has not formally released the man's identity.