Church Abuse Inquiry: Vicar-general Excused

By Ian Kirkwood
Newcastle Herald
July 19, 2013

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1649005/church-abuse-inquiry-vicar-general-excused/?cs=12

A SENIOR Maitland-Newcastle Diocese figure has had his cross-examination cut short after concerns about his treatment outside the special commission of inquiry were accepted by Commissioner Margaret Cunneen.

Former diocese vicar-general William Burston will now resume his evidence next Friday, July 26.

Explaining her decision, Commissioner Cunneen accepted that the ‘‘unacceptable behaviour’’ that Father Burston was subjected to outside the inquiry on Wednesday may have affected his ability to give his evidence fully.

Father Burston was followed into the witness box by Monsignor Allan Hart, a former vicar-general of the diocese under Bishop Michael Malone’s predecessor, Bishop Leo Clarke.

Monsignor Hart said he had heard ‘‘whispers’’ about paedophile priest Denis McAlinden from parishioners but not from other clergy.

He also told counsel assisting, Julia Lonergan, that he learned about allegations against another paedophile priest, Vince Ryan, after articles were published in the Newcastle Herald in about 1985.

But he agreed later he may have been wrong about this date, and it may have been later.

Monsignor Hart initially told Ms Lonergan that he did not discuss McAlinden with Bishop Clarke but he later accepted he did, saying he did not think that Ms Lonergan was referring to discussions ‘‘later on’’.

Monsignor Hart recalled McAlinden victim AJ coming to him in early 1993 to allege that McAlinden had sexually abused her as a girl.

He said he had a ‘‘very clear recollection’’ of this because he was ‘‘horrified’’ by what she had told him.

He said she had asked him to tell Bishop Clarke about it, which he did.

He said he told her to go to the police but he believed she did not want to do this.

Ms Lonergan asked Monsignor Hart to look at an entry in his diary from February 1993, which included a reference to his meeting AJ.

He said Bishop Clarke had formed a committee to deal with such matters, which included Father Brian Lucas and at least one other priest.

Ms Lonergan suggested this priest was not in the diocese at the time but Monsignor Hart believed that he was.

He saw it as his role to support AJ but it was the committee’s role to act on McAlinden.

Shortly before the lunch adjournment he agreed with Ms Lonergan that AJ had wanted McAlinden ‘‘off the streets’’.

Friday’s hearing resumed with counsel for the diocese, Lachlan Gyles, asking Father Burston about apparent contradictions in his evidence on Thursday.

Mr Gyles said Father Burston had given one answer to counsel assisting at this stage, David Kell, and a different answer to counsel for one of the victims, Maria Gerace, in relation to the McAlinden matter.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Father Burston had answered dozens of questions put to him by saying he was unable to recall the things being put to him about McAlinden and the other paedophile priest named in the inquiry’s terms of reference, Jim Fletcher.

Mr Gyles said counsel assisting in this section of the inquiry, David Kell, had asked whether he had ‘‘selective recall’’, a contention Father Burston denied.

Mr Gyles put it to the commission that the treatment of Father Burston outside the commission created additional pressure on top of an already stressful position.

He said Father Burston was as a ‘‘77- or 78-year-old man’’ with ‘‘cognitive difficulties’’ having to give evidence about long ago events.

Mr Kell objected and the hearing was adjourned.

When proceedings resumed soon after, Ms Cunneen said Father Burston was excused from giving further evidence until next Friday, when the stress of the events of the past few days would hopefully be behind him.

The hearing continues on Friday afternoon.