AUSTRALIA
The Age
Nino Bucci
Crime reporter for The Age
A paedophile priest who fled to Malaysia on paid leave to seek the company of “younger Asian men” has died.
Father Peter Grasby left Australia in January, despite a travel ban issued by the Catholic archdiocese of Melbourne as a condition of his administrative leave.
The church was not aware Father Grasby had left the country until contacted by Fairfax Media, which reported in February about his case and the concerns it raised about the monitoring of sex offenders within the clergy.
An independent commissioner for the archdiocese ordered Father Grasby to return to Melbourne and moved to cancel his entitlements because he had defied the conditions of his leave.
The 66-year-old died suddenly earlier this month. A spokesman for the archdiocese would not say if Father Grasby had returned to Melbourne before his death.
The spokesman would also not confirm whether any complaints regarding the priest remained outstanding. The archdiocese previously said Father Grasby’s conduct since he was placed on administrative leave would be reviewed.
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