Attorney-general Greg Smith "Prayed" for Alleged Paedophile Priest Finian Egan

Daily Telegraph
May 3, 2012

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/attorney-general-greg-smith-prayed-for-alleged-paedophile-priest-finian-egan/story-fn7y9brv-1226345221327

Child abuse allegations ... Father Finian Egan arriving at Ryde Police station / Pic: Tracee Lea Source: The Daily Telegraph

ATTORNEY-General Greg Smith told Father Chris Riley in an email last year that he was regularly praying for the alleged paedophile priest Finian Egan.

He also complained to Father Riley that one of Egan's alleged victims Nikki Wells had launched a media attack on him and his chief of staff Damien Tudehope, whose brother is Egan's barrister.

Mr Smith's office has released the emails in an attempt to prove that he had not dismissed Ms Wells' claims on grounds she wanted money from the Catholic Church.

Ms Wells says she was devastated when on July 17 last year she received an email from Father Riley saying: "I was with Greg Smith the other day and I raised you [sic] case with him. He commented that 'You were just trying to get $1m from the church'."

Egan was charged on Tuesday with 17 offences including rape and sexual assault related to four alleged victims dating back 40 years.