Catholic priest jailed for historic sexual offences against young girls

By Joanna Menagh
ABC News
July 24, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-24/priest-jailed-for-molesting-girls-in-perth/5621232

Patrick Holmes has been jailed for his sex abuse of the girls.

A 79-year-old Catholic priest has been jailed for three years for sexually abusing two young girls in Perth decades ago.

Patrick Holmes pleaded guilty to six child sex charges, which were laid against him earlier this year.

The first three offences were committed in 1969 and involved a girl aged about six or seven.

Holmes was the parish priest at Holy Name Church in Carlisle and the offences were committed to a victim in the presbytery.

The last three offences happened in the early 1980s, in the presbytery of the Saint Aloysius Church in Shenton Park where Holmes was again the parish priest.

They were against a girl aged 10 or 11.

The District Court was told both victims used to regularly visit Holmes and he would give them gifts, including money.

The court heard the offences against the second victim were committed in full view of the presbytery's caretaker.

It was revealed the first victim told the Catholic Church what had happened to her in 2000, and Holmes wrote her a letter of apology.

He was then removed from the parish.

The woman reported the matter to police in January this year.

Holmes' lawyer Seamus Rafferty said his client "feels a deep sense of guilt, regret and sorrow that he has caused the victims significant harm".

Mr Rafferty said Holmes had devoted his life to God and the church and did so much good in the community that "he just can't understand why [Holmes] would do this".

He said his client had no memory of the offences against the second victim but "he accepts the complainants are entirely truthful people and would not mislead anyone".

Mr Rafferty said Holmes started studying to be a priest when he was in his teens, and was ordained when he was 21.

Judge John Wisbey told Holmes he used his "position of trust ... and the age and naivety of the victims ... to achieve your criminal purposes".

"Your behaviour has had distressing and adverse consequences for each of the complainants," he added.

"You have brought considerable shame on your self, that is a consequence of your offending behaviour."

In a statement the Archbishop of Perth, Timothy Costelloe, said justice had been done.

"Our thoughts today are with the two women who showed such courage in coming forward to police to tell their stories of how they suffered as a result of Father Holmes’ deplorable actions more than 30 years ago.

"Today, justice has been done as a result of their honesty and tenacity.

"The Catholic Church across Perth is wholly committed to confronting with openness and honesty the failures of the past and to cooperating fully with police, as it has done in this case, in all matters relating to child sexual abuse.

"We also remain committed to doing all we can to continue to ensure that our communities are places of absolute safety for all, especially children and young people.

"We continue to urge anyone who wishes to make a complaint or allegation of child sexual abuse against a Catholic priest, religious or lay worker to take the matter directly to the police.

"The Catholic Church’s Professional Standards Office in Western Australia also stands ready to assist anyone who has a complaint to make, including providing assistance for those who wish to take their case to the police."