Priest Arrested over Child Sex Offences

The Australian
May 1, 2012

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news-old/priest-arrested-over-child-sex-offences/story-fn3dxity-1226343645538

A CATHOLIC priest who is a friend of NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith has been arrested in relation to child sex offences.

Police said the 77-year-old priest was questioned at Ryde police station and charged in relation to alleged indecent assaults that had been renamed under the Crimes Act 1900..

The priest was the subject of a police investigation that began in 2010 following complaints he abused young girls 30 years ago.

He has maintained his innocence.

One of his alleged victims told the ABC last month the case had been on the desk of the NSW director of public prosecutions awaiting a signature for seven months.

Police have not confirmed if today's likely charges relate to alleged victims who made complaints in the past.

Outside Ryde police station, one of the priest's alleged victims said she had been waiting for this day.

"The majority of my life I have been waiting for this day," she said.

Eastwood Local Area Commander Superintendent Peter Marcon said the charges related to alleged indecent assaults that had been renamed under the Crimes Act 1900.

"These charges were laid as they would have been consistent with the laws at the time of the alleged offences being committed," he said.

"In today's terminology you have equivalent offences of indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, sexual intercourse without consent and aggravated sexual assault."

The priest has been charged with three counts of indecent assault over an incident involving a 16-year-old girl at Carlingford in 1987.

Another 10 charges relate to the alleged indecent assault of an 11-year-old girl at Carlingford in 1979.

One charge of indecent assault involves a 14-year-old boy at The Entrance in 1973.

Two counts of indecent assault and one count of rape relate to an alleged incident involving a 17-year-old girl at The Entrance in 1972.

He been granted strict conditional bail to appear in Ryde Local Court on May 23.

About 2pm (AEST), he walked out of the police station with the help of a paramedic.

He was put into an ambulance and taken to Ryde Hospital.

Two of his alleged victims were waiting outside the police station while the former priest was being charged.

One of them said she had been waiting for this day for a long time.

"I think I am in shock. It is quite surreal because it's been such a long process," she said.