AUSTRALIA
Braidwood Times
By William Vallely March 5, 2015
A FORMER Ballarat parish priest has appealed a three month jail sentence after indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl in the 1970s.
Eighty-four-year-old Leslie Sheahan, a Ballarat North priest in the 1960s, was on Thursday given a 12-month sentence by magistrate Michelle Hodgson – three of which were to be served immediately.
Ms Hodgson said the historical sex offence was indicative of the culture of silence and accountability by members of the clergy who have abused positions of trust.
“Slowly but surely we have come to recognise people in positions of power are taking advantage of people,” she said.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.