Priest admits sex on beach as woman accuses church of breaching duty of care, by Joanne Mccarthy, Newcastle Herald (September 7, 2014)

Priest admits sex on beach as woman accuses church of breaching duty of care

A CATHOLIC priest has admitted to having sex with a woman at places including a beach, a camping ground, in a grandstand, a church-owned building and in the Italian city of Florence, despite his vow of celibacy.

But Father Tom Knowles, of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, has denied the woman suffered embarrassment, humiliation or damage because of their lengthy and secret sexual relationship, or that he sexually groomed and abused her.

Central Coast woman Jennifer Herrick, 60, has filed a landmark breach of trust case against the priest and the trustees of his order.

Ms Herrick alleges the Blessed Sacrament Fathers failed to act on disclosures made by the priest to senior members of the church about his sexual misconduct.

In his defence, filed in the NSW Supreme Court in August, Father Knowles admitted the two ‘‘often shared a bed at night’’ in the mid-north coast village of Harrington and ‘‘maintained a sexual relationship’’.

But he denied that it constituted a breach of duty of care, or that such a duty of care existed.

He admitted they had sex on a beach at Harrington, at a Blackheath camping ground, at a church-owned building in Chatswood, in the grandstand at Beauchamp Park at Chatswood and in Florence while on separate holidays.

Ms Herrick alleges she was 19, devout, sexually naive and had a severe physical disability when the priest, then 27, suddenly grabbed her in her parents’ home and kissed her after a church event.

She alleges she was 22 when he initiated sex.

In a statement of claim, she alleged she was 35 and he was 42 when he abruptly ended the secret relationship.

It was not until she complained that Father Knowles was stood down in 2011.

She received compensation after his order acknowledged his ‘‘inappropriate conduct’’ meant Ms Herrick had ‘‘endured a great deal of emotional and psychological pain and suffering’’.

She initiated legal action after Father Knowles was reinstated in December 2012 with no public explanation of his 16 months’ ‘‘administration leave’’.

He was stood down again in February last year after the media exposed the sexual relationship, which prompted victims’ groups to question why Catholic priests who have sexual relationships are not subject to the same penalties handed to doctors who have sexual relationships with patients.

In the Supreme Court last week, a judge rejected Ms Herrick’s application for access to a report compiled by a social worker in 2011 after interviewing Father Knowles.

The report was prepared at the request of the head of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers, Father Graeme Duro, to determine the likelihood of Father Knowles engaging in sexual behaviour in future.

Associate Justice Harrison rejected the application in part because Father Knowles might have suffered ‘‘shame, humiliation and damage to his reputation’’ if the report was made public.