Bishop's Advisor Rejects Claims of "Selective Recall"
By Dan Cox
A former advisor to the Catholic bishop in the New South Wales Hunter Valley has rejected claims he has "selective recall" regarding paedophile priests. At the New South Wales Special Commission today Father William Burston used the phrase "I don't recall" more than 60 times. He is giving evidence at the inquiry into claims the church covered-up abuse to protect two paedophile priests, James Fletcher and Denis McAlinden. As the Maitland-Newcastle vicar general from the mid 1990s he was second in charge of the diocese. But he says he cannot remember when he was told, where he was told or who told him about McAlinden's abuse of young girls. He concedes being told about the allegations would have been a momentous and striking occasion, but when accused by counsel assisting of having "selective recall" he rejected that. He said in the last eight years he has had 10 operations requiring general anaesthetic and he now has a problem with his memory. Father Burston said he was doing his best to assist the commission and was not trying to distance himself from McAlinden. He said he cannot remember discussing McAlinden's abuse with the former bishop, but when asked by counsel assisting why police were not told in 1996 about the complaints he said it was his "understanding that the two victims did not want the police involved". The commission has also heard Father Burston was friends with Fletcher. The former vicar general said there was "very little opportunity" to discuss the abuse allegations with Fletcher during pastoral visits. Father Burston said when he told Fletcher the claims "could be believed" the priest "would quickly change the subject". He said Fletcher lied to him about a victim never staying the night at the presbytery. The public hearings will resume at 11am (AEST) tomorrow morning.
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