A-g "Lacked Judgment" in Priest Comments

West Australian
April 5, 2012

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/13351634/a-g-lacked-judgment-in-priest-comments/

NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith has shown a lack of judgment by making derogatory comments about a woman who accused his friend and former parish priest of sexual abusing her when she was a child, the state opposition says.

Mr Smith said one of the alleged victims of Father Finian Egan was "just trying to get $1 million from the church", an email from an unnamed Catholic priest who met the attorney-general last July claims.

The email to alleged victim Nikki Wells, broadcast on ABC Television on Wednesday night, has raised questions about the long delay in prosecuting the case against Father Egan.

The retired priest, who has maintained his innocence, was the subject of a police investigation that began in 2010 following complaints he had abused young girls 30 years ago.

Two years later, NSW police have not laid criminal charges against him, with Ms Wells telling the ABC the case had been on the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions desk for a frustrating seven months.

NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson said the attorney-general must publicly explain why he had meetings with the unnamed priest, saying the case may have been "potentially" compromised.

"Barry O'Farrell's attorney-general needs to explain how he thinks it is appropriate to meet with a priest to talk about an alleged child abuse case involving his personal friend and parish priest," Mr Robertson told reporters.

"This is a case that's being considered by the DPP. This is a case that involves a close personal friend and parish priest of Greg Smith.

"This shows a complete lack of judgment by Greg Smith. A total lack of empathy."

In a statement, Mr Smith said he recalls no such conversation and "would never suggest any victim of sexual abuse was motivated by a desire to claim a financial payout".

Mr O'Farrell's office issued a statement backing Mr Smith, saying the premier had been assured the attorney-general hadn't interfered in the case involving Father Egan.

"The premier has been assured that neither the attorney-general nor his office has been involved in the consideration by the state's legal authorities of allegations concerning Father Finian Egan," the statement said.

"Mr O'Farrell has also been assured that this matter has been and will continue to be handled independently by the relevant legal authorities."