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	Priest in Dock for Alleged Sexual Assault By Anna Cox IOL June 13, 2008 http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080613060734750C767060 A Catholic priest charged with three cases of sexual assault has appeared in court. He was not asked to plead. Most of the day in the Brits magistrate's court on Thursday was taken up with the priest's advocate, Graham Kerr-Phillips, trying to get the state to release the full Child Protection Unit's docket to him. Only the first section, known as "A" was released. He said he needed sections B and C, which contain witnesses' statements and other documents related to the case to prepare for the trial. State prosecutor, Ruben Chabalala, in his rebuttal, said it was not standard procedure to hand over the two sections as they contained internal correspondence between various state organs, the names of the children who were on camp and correspondence with other countries in which the priest had worked. The magistrate, however, ordered the investigating officer Captain Colin Morris, to hand over the full docket saying the defence team had the right to the information. The priest, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, allegedly climbed into bed with three boys wearing only boxer shorts during a camp to prepare the children for their first holy communion held in Hartbeespoort, in April. One of the boys aged nine, who was allegedly indecently assaulted, claims the priest lay in bed with him and snuggled up to him. The boy managed to free himself with the help of some classmates. The priest then allegedly got into bed with another two boys. One of the boys' fathers said he went to confront the priest after his son told him about the incident. He said the priest denied everything. The next day the priest asked the father if he could go to his house to discuss the matter. The father said the priest was only interested in talking about how, if exposed, it could affect his career. He was not concerned about the children. Father Chris Townsend, information officer for the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, said the church had started its own investigation, but it had been suspended until the outcome of the criminal case.
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