Catholic Church Accused of Covering up for Priest Malcolm Mclennan Who Abused Altar Boy at St Simon Stock Church in Walderslade

By Lynn Cox
Kent Online
July 12, 2013

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway_messenger/news/Evil-priest-3300/

A former altar boy abused by a Catholic priest has accused the church of covering up his crimes.

The victim, now in his 30s and with a family, said a bishop told him not to continue "his silly talk" when he originally complained 25 years ago.

That was despite the fact Malcolm McLennan already had convictions for gross indecency and had been the subject of complaints alleging he had abused boys at another parish before being moved to St Simon Stock Church in Walderslade.

McLennan, now 69, appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court this week where he admitted indecent assault against a minor. He has been sent to the crown court to be sentenced.

He already has convictions dating back to the 1970s for indecency involving having sex with men in public toilets and in 2009 admitted indecent assaults involving three boys at another church.

He was jailed for 18 months and placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Following his latest admission, the victim has spoken out about the devastating effect the abuse had on his life and has strongly criticised the church for the way his allegations were dismissed.

He said he finally reported his attacker to police following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

The man - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - said: "It's disgusting for a religious organisation to not protect the welfare of all its parishioners, especially children.

"It seems as soon as an allegation came to light he was just moved from parish to parish, he should have been stopped from being a priest."

McLennan admitted molesting an altar boy at a church in Medway around 25 years ago when he appeared in court on Monday.

Medway magistrates heard how the then Father Frederick Malcolm McLennan put his hands down the boy's pants and fondled him when he was a teenager at St Simon Stock Church.

McLennan was known as Father Malcolm and was an assistant priest at the church in Bleakwood Drive, Chatham.

He now works as an infirmary assistant looking after monks at an Abbey in Gloucestershire.

Father Malcolm McLennan was an assistant priest at St Simon Stock Church

Alcoholic McLennan committed the offence between December 1987 and January 1989 while the boy was changing into his ceremonial robes.

The court also heard he had previously been an assistant priest at a church in Tunbridge Wells in the mid-1980s and indecently assaulted three choir boys there.

In 2009, McLennan appeared at Maidstone Crown Court where he admitted indecently assaulting the youths at St Augustine's Catholic Church.

He abused them at a children's video club, which he ran in his sitting room. Two of the boys he abused were brothers.

A third boy did not make a complaint, but McLennan eventually made a confession that led to one of the charges.

He was jailed for 18 months for the three indecent assaults and placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

He already had convictions for gross indecency dating back to 1973, 1977 and 1989 involving offences in public toilets with men.

Contact: lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk