Suicides Linked to Clergy's "Sex Abuse"

By Nick Mckenzie, Richard Baker, Josh Gordon
Blacktown Sun
April 13, 2012

http://www.blacktownsun.com.au/news/national/national/general/suicides-linked-to-clergys-sex-abuse/2521352.aspx

AT LEAST five people killed themselves after allegedly being sexually abused by paedophile priest Ronald Pickering between 1960 and 1980, new research says.

The deaths in Melbourne, uncovered by lawyer Judy Courtin, add to the 40 suicides by victims of clergy paedophiles documented in a police report.

The revelations have forced the Victorian Premier, Ted Baillieu, to bring forward plans to respond to the growing church abuse scandal. It is understood the government will announce a broad investigation - potentially with powers to compel witnesses to give evidence - into the criminal abuse of children by religious organisations.

But demands for a full-scale royal commission are unlikely to be met, with the government concerned about the potential cost.

Ms Courtin, who is conducting PhD research for Monash University's law faculty into sexual abuse by the Catholic Church, has uncovered a ''cluster'' of suicides - between five and eight - of suspected victims of Father Pickering, who fled Australia in 1993 before he could be charged.

She said the suicides mostly involve men who were allegedly abused as boys by Pickering when he worked at the Gardenvale parish in Melbourne. ''According to the reports I received, all of these boys were either altar boys, members of the parish choir and/or members of families with whom Pickering would spend time,'' Ms Courtin said.

Yesterday the Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner, Graham Ashton, told 3AW's Neil Mitchell that despite repeated requests from police, the church was not alerting authorities about clergy abuse. ''I can't think of a single referral we've had from the Catholic Church in the last couple of years I've been around,'' he said.

''I've been up there [to the Melbourne Archdiocese] myself and spoken to them about it but they have their own processes that they regard as being robust … our point is we're the ones that make the decision around whether things are criminal or not.''

The Melbourne Archbishop, Denis Hart, said yesterday he did not believe the church's behaviour had contributed to suicides.

He conceded that ''in the past there have been some failures'' but said the suicides reported yesterday were in Ballarat and outside of his jurisdiction.

''I am aware that there is the possibility of a small number of suicides in Melbourne. I don't have details,'' he said.

Archbishop Hart said the ''great majority'' of victims did not want to go to police. ''I believe that with regard to victims, obviously the church has got to … walk with victims, but it is always to the extent to which they will let us.''

Ms Courtin said an inquiry with royal commission powers was needed to investigate the church's handling of the sex abuse crisis - including the suicides.

Her comments were supported by more victims' relatives yesterday, including Eileen Piper, whose daughter Stephanie killed herself in 1994 after she was repeatedly raped by a priest, Gerard Mulvale, several years before.

''I would like an inquiry to get the truth out of the church, instead of just the lies. For too long all we have had is cover-ups,'' Ms Piper said.

with Maris Beck

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