AUSTRALIA
ABC – PM
MARK COLVIN: A disabled woman has begun a legal case against her former parish priest, who she says sexually abused her over a 14 year period.
Jennifer Herrick is suing Father Tom Knowles and three senior members of his Catholic Church order, the Blessed Sacrament Fathers.
Ms Herrick says Father Knowles repeatedly exploited her vulnerability as a disabled and sexually naive parishioner.
Two months ago, Jennifer Herrick spoke to PM about how the church was using the controversial Ellis defence to fight her claim.
Lorna Knowles has the story.
LORNA KNOWLES: Early this morning, Jennifer Herrick took the long train ride from her home on the New South Wales Central Coast to the Supreme Court in Sydney, to take on the man she says abused her for 14 years.
JENNIFER HERRICK: It felt surreal in some ways, when you had had a close knowledge of someone that was so betrayed as I’ve had, to then be in a courtroom discussing that same person, it’s not a normal circumstance, and it’s very difficult.
LORNA KNOWLES: She sat silently in court, as a church barrister described her claims as excessive.
JENNIFER HERRICK: I was really affronted by that term. It was insulting and I thought frivolous on his part to something that’s extremely serious.
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