AUSTRALIA
Broken Rites
By a Broken Rites researcher (article updated 22 December 2013)
For 50 years, Sydney child-abuser Father Finian Egan was supported by the Catholic Church and influential friends but he was finally brought to justice by three of his victims, with help from Broken Rites.
Egan was sentenced on 20 December 2014 to at least four years’ jail after a jury found him guilty of seven counts of indecent assault and one count of rape, committed against three girls who were aged from 10 to 17 in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
These victims have slammed the Catholic Church for harbouring Egan in the priesthood for five decades, putting numerous children in danger.
Broken Rites research
Broken Rites can reveal that these three women were not the only complainants against Egan. This trial was confined to female complainants, and it covered only these three women who agreed to take part in the prosecution. A fourth woman exercised her right to opt out of the proceedings.
Broken Rites first heard of Father Finian Egan in January 2003, when we were contacted by one of his female victims. Five years later, in 2008, Broken Rites was contacted by a second Egan victim and later by a third, fourth, fifth and sixth victim. These six female victims were from several parishes. They were of various ages. They did not know each other. And they contacted Broken Rites separately, not realising that Broken Rites already knew about Egan.
And Broken Rites knows about a male complainant.
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