Dandenong Church Fire: Police Release Computer-generated Image of Man Wanted for Questioning
ABC News
Police have released a computer-generated image of a man wanted for questioning over a suspicious fire at a Dandenong church historically linked to a paedophile priest. Fire crews were called to St Mary's Catholic Church in Dandenong at 2:30am on April 1 by the parish's priest, Father Declan O'Brien, who lives in a detached building, when he was woken by the sound of smoke alarms. The church was one of eight linked to convicted paedophile priest Kevin O'Donnell, who sexually abused children throughout his 50-year career in Melbourne parishes. The fire brigade said it was clear to firefighters that someone had broken in and set several areas of the building alight. The blaze was contained in two small areas of the building after 40 firefighters took an hour to bring it under control. Police said they were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire. They appealed for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to come forward.
On the morning of the fire, Father O'Brien said he could not understand what would motivate a person to "want to burn a place of worship". "I can understand people being angry, I just don't get why, even if they're angry, it's justifiable that you'd attack a church building," he said. "I just can't comprehend that right now, I really, really can't." The church was one of three Catholic churches targeted by suspected arson attacks over the course of a week. A blaze almost destroyed the heritage-listed St James Church in Brighton on March 30, where paedophile priest Ronald Dennis Pickering worked from 1978–1993. Another church where Pickering served, St Mary's in St Kilda East, was also set alight on the same night but the fire appeared to have extinguished itself with only the door damaged.
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