'Clear evidence' of Catholic Church cover-up over Father 'F': former DPP director

By Andy Park
ABC News
May 3, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-02/father-farrell-paedophile-church-cover-up/7372026

Former Catholic priest John Farrell has been jailed for a minimum of 18 years.

The former director of the NSW Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) says there is "clear evidence" the Catholic Church covered up the crimes of a paedophile priest.

John Joseph Farrell, formerly Father "F" under a decades-old suppression order, was sentenced to a minimum 18 years' jail after being found guilty of 62 counts of child sex abuse in Armidale in the 1980s.

Pressure is mounting on the DPP to investigate the Catholic Church over its role in the cover-up of Farrell's crimes, with the possibility of further criminal prosecution of senior Catholic Church leaders.

Since 1990, it has been against the law to conceal serious offences under 316 of the Crimes Act.

"I think this is very clear evidence of continuing cover-up," former DPP director Nicholas Cowdery said.

"I don't see how you can get away from that."

Farrell has offered to give evidence against senior Catholic leaders who have repeatedly denied covering up his child sex crimes.

In documents obtained by 7.30, Farrell insists he admitted to Reverend Monsignor Usher and Father Brian Lucas he sexually abused five boys between 1982 and 1984.

They have denied witnessing Farrell's admission to child sex crimes.

Farrell's legal representative wrote to the Special Commission into Child Sex Abuse allegations in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle in October 2013, saying Farrell offered to give evidence "contrary to the accounts given by Fathers Usher and Lucas".

"Importantly, such evidence supports the proposition of a 'cover-up' and may provide evidence of offences such as misprision of a felony and the failing to disclose information concerning a serious offence," the letter reads.

On September 3, 1992, Farrell was called to a meeting with senior Catholic church leaders in the in the presbytery of St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.

Present were Father Wayne Peters (now deceased), Reverend Monsignor Usher and Father Lucas, now the national director of The Catholic Mission.

They have said Farrell admitted to "nothing specific" and that Farrell spoke about his "sexual fantasies", according to the Whitlam Report into the affair, commissioned by the Parramatta and Armidale Diocese in 2012.

"Farrell said nothing on that occasion where he mentioned any names or any matters of child sexual abuse," Reverend Monsignor Usher told 7.30.

A secret internal letter about the meeting sent in 1992, signed by Reverend Peters and addressed to the Bishop of Armidale, includes details of graphic sexual abuse inflicted upon five boys.

"Some of the boys involved may bring criminal charges against the Rev Farrell with subsequent grave harm to the priesthood and the church."

Reverend Monsignor Usher disputes the letter's version of events.

"He [Farrell] talked a lot about homosexuality or gayness but whatever Wayne Peters wrote did not come out of that meeting," Reverend Monsignor Usher said.

"He may have had access to other information."

Mr Cowdery said it was in the public interest that clergyman that may have known about crimes, yet failed to report them to police, are referred to the DPP on the basis of Farrell's testimony and the 1992 letter.

"In that letter, there is a very clear description of facts that would constitute serious indictable offences," he said.

"That is, criminal offences that carry a penalty of five years' imprisonment or more."

Associate Professor David Hamer, a specialist in the law of evidence at the University of Sydney, said it is at the discretion of the DPP whether or not to prosecute.

"I'd imagine that someone senior in the NSW DPP would take a very close look at any charges that were laid in this case," Associate Professor Hamer said.

Father Lucas has always maintained Farrell did not make any admission that required going to the police, and did not agree to an interview with 7.30.

NSW Police Strikeforce Glenroe, the DPP, the Sydney Archdiocese and the Bishop of Armidale have all been contacted for comment.