Prominent Catholic priest Father Julian Fox jailed for child sex crimes

By Shannon Deery
Herald Sun
August 28, 2015

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/prominent-catholic-priest-father-julian-fox-jailed-for-child-sex-crimes/story-fni0fee2-1227502872729

Father Julian Fox has been jailed for child sex abuse.

THE former Australian head of the second-largest Catholic order in the world has been jailed for child sex crimes.

Father Julian Fox, 70, is today behind bars, 16 years after being accused of child sex crimes while teaching at Melbourne schools in the 1980s and 1990s.

The remorseless Salesian priest left Australia in 1999, shortly before the first known complaints were made to his superiors.

He fled to Rome where he worked at the Salesian headquarters, spending more than a decade dodging calls to return to Melbourne to face justice.

In 2000, the Salesians made a confidential $36,000 payment to one victim, who died of drug abuse six years later.

The death ended a police inquiry that had been frustrated by Fox’s refusal to return to Melbourne to be interviewed over the allegations.

Despite claims by the Salesians that Fox was banned from working with children, he was later caught giving lectures to overseas students about social media.

He finally returned to Melbourne in 2013.

Sources have told the Herald Sun that the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recommended his prompt return to Australia to face investigation.

Detectives had been negotiating with the Catholic Church for his return since July 2012.

Fox was sentenced to four years’ jail and fined $10,000 today for sexually and physically assaulting five students while vice-principal at Salesian College, Rupertswood and as principal of St Joseph’s College, Ferntree Gully, during the 1970s and 1980s.

Following eight County Court trials, he was found guilty of three charges of indecently assaulting two students, and now has pleaded guilty to charges of common assault of three victims.

He was acquitted of remaining charges.

Fox — who once compared himself to Jesus — is one of a long list of priests and brothers from the Salesian order who have now been convicted of terrorising Victorian kids between the 1960s and 1990s.

Despite his crimes he rose to become head of the Salesian order.

Sources have told the Herald Sun the organisation recommended Fox’s prompt return to Australia to be probed by detectives.

One of his victims was a Year 9 who was beaten then sexually assaulted by Fox.

The abuse was watched by another priest, who gave the young victim toy, patted him on the head and told him “good boy” after the attack.

He must serve a minimum term of two years and eight months.

Despite his crimes he still has the support of the Salesians, the court was told.

In 2004, the Australian chapter was engulfed in global scandal after it was alleged local superiors moved priests accused of sexual assaults across international and state borders to evade authorities.