Former Salesian priest Michael Aulsebrook jailed for rape, sex assaults

By Adam Cooper
Age
June 21, 2016

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/former-salesian-priest-michael-aulsebrook-jailed-for-rape-sex-assaults-20160621-gpobkf.html

Michael Aulsebrook lured the boy to his office one night, then drugged and raped him. Photo by Justin McManus

The victim was also raped by another priest at the school, David Rapson. Photo by Justin McManus

Disgraced priest Julian Fox also taught at Rupertswood. Photo by Angela Wylie

In 2014, former Rupertswood principal Frank Klep was jailed for more than 10 years for abusing 15 children. Photo by Nic Kocher

A Catholic priest who raped a student at a notorious boarding school and then told the boy he disgusted him has been jailed for 8½ years.

Michael Aulsebrook, 60, on Tuesday became the latest of a string of priests who taught at Salesian College Rupertswood in Sunbury to be jailed for sexually abusing children, after he was found guilty in April of raping the boy in 1988.

The victim, who was a Year 7 student, was also raped by another priest at the school, David Rapson, in a separate incident that same year.

Aulsebrook is no longer a priest but was the boarding co-ordinator in 1988 and lured the boy to his office one night with the offer of playing computer games.

The boy believed he was drugged, as he was given a soft drink and woke to find himself lying on the floor and being raped.

Afterwards, the County Court heard, Aulsebrook told the boy: "Get out of my sight, you disgust me."

Judge Geoffrey Chettle said Aulsebrook's remark was calculated to transfer his own guilt onto the boy.

Aulsebrook must spend five years and nine months in prison before he is eligible for parole.

He pleaded not guilty to one count of rape but was found guilty at trial.

He earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault, related to sexually abusing a boy and a girl.

In 1987, while staying with the boy's family, Aulsebrook molested the then seven-year-old and also attacked him eight years later.

Also in 1995, he molested the girl – then aged seven or eight – while staying with her family.

The boy and girl were both attacked while sleeping in their beds, the court heard.

Judge Chettle said Aulsebrook's offending was the "serious serial exploitation of young victims in a predatory" manner.

His rape of the boarding student was an inexcusable breach of trust, the judge said, for which he had shown "absolutely no remorse".

The court heard the three victims had experienced problems including depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, self-harm and substance abuse into their adult lives.

Aulsebrook previously spent nine months in jail for sexually assaulting a boy, 12, in 1983 and was terrified of returning to prison, the court heard.

He had trouble reconciling his crimes with God, but Judge Chettle found he had not shown any empathy towards his victims and his primary emotion was self-pity.

Judge Chettle said he had to jail Aulsebrook in line with 1988 sentencing laws.

Rape carried a maximum penalty of 10 years at the time; now it carries a maximum 25 years.

Rapson was last year jailed for more than 12 years after being found guilty of sexually assaulting six boys between 1976 and 1990.

Julian Fox, another former Rupertswood teacher, was last year jailed for four years for sexually assaulting two students and physically assaulting another three.

Former principal Frank Klep was in 2014 jailed for more than 10 years for abusing 15 children while running the college's infirmary between 1974 and 1983.

Former dormitory master Paul Van Ruth was jailed for more than two years for molesting two boys in the 1960s.

Police have also investigated several other former Rupertswood teachers for sexual assault offences.