Priest, 88, Faces Court on 1970s Child-abuse Charge

Broken Rites
June 26, 2014

http://brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/240

A priest of the Melbourne Catholic archdiocese, Father James Henry Scannell, aged 88, is currently undergoing a jury trial on a charge that he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old altar boy more than 40 years ago. The alleged victim (now in his fifties) finally contacted the police after learning that his aunt's funeral in 2010 was to be conducted by this priest, the court was told.

In the early 1970s, according to court documents, Father Scannell was stationed at St Anne's parish in East Kew, Melbourne, where the 12-year-old served as an altar boy and attended with his aunt.

Father Scannell (date of birth 17 April 1926) is accused of sexually assaulting the boy at the priest's parish house between August 1970 and July 1972 when the boy was aged between 11 and 13. Father Scannell has pleaded not guilty to one charge of buggery.

Father Scannell is alleged to have led the boy into his bedroom and then sexually assaulted him one day when the boy was at the priest's house working for pocket money.

Prosecutor Kristie Churchill, in her closing submission in the Melbourne County Court on 25 June 2014, told the jury that the boy was "frozen in fear" and experienced pain and discomfort while being assaulted.

Afterwards, the boy was told to have a shower and participate in "Confession" before he walked home crying, the jury was told. The boy never returned to the priest's home.

Ms Churchill said the boy kept the allegation to himself for years, but in 2010 reacted with shock when told by his sister that Father Scannell would conduct the funeral for their aunt.

The complainant said he then decided that he had felt ashamed for long enough and therefore he reported the alleged sexual assault to police.

The prosecutor said Mr Scannell's reaction at being told he was not welcome to perform the funeral was also notable. "He simply says OK, doesn't ask why, just says OK," she said.

Ms Churchill said the complainant, now aged 55, was a reliable and believable witness who had given his evidence in graphic detail and "like it was".

Father Scannell's defence lawyer told the jury that it was difficult to prove one person's allegation against another when so much time had elapsed.

The jury is now considering its verdict.

The Victoria Police investigation was conducted by Leading Senior Constable Tracey van Wyngaarden, of the Sexual Offences and Child-abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) in Box Hill, Melbourne.