Former Catholic Priest Denies Charges of Indecent Assault against Students
News.com.au
A FORMER Catholic priest on trial for sex crimes against young boys will take the stand in a bid to prove his innocence, a court has heard. James Jennings, 80, is standing trial in the County Court accused of molesting boys at St Vincent’s College, Bendigo, in the 1960s. Prosecutors allege he assaulted three boarders, aged 12 and 13, at the college while in charge of one of the dormitories there. Mr Jennings is facing six counts of indecent assault. Mark Hird, for Mr Jennings, told the jury his client absolutely denied the allegations. “Put simply, it just didn’t happen. He doesn’t have to prove a thing,” Mr Hird said. “But he will subject himself to cross-examination by the prosecution in denial of these charges.” Prosecutor Susan Borg, opening the Crown case, told the court the alleged offending started soon after Mr Jennings was sent to teach at St Vincent’s in 1963. She said he had previously taught at St Stanislaus in NSW and said a former pupil would give evidence that he had been abused there. Despite the allegations, Mr Jennings is not facing any charges in relation to that alleged assault. Ms Borg said the Bendigo students were all in Year 7 or 8 when they were abused in similar ways between 1964 and 1968. On each occasion Mr Jennings allegedly fondled or masturbated the boys. In one incident he allegedly instructed one boy to masturbate him, saying “he owed him one”. The offences happened in either the boys’ beds, Mr Jennings’ office or the school sick bay, the jury heard. Ms Borg said Mr Jennings left the school soon after one of the boys complained to another priest in the late 1960s. A complaint was made to the church’s professional standards committee in 1997 before a police complaint was filed in 2003, the court heard. The trial continues. Contact: Shannon.deery@news.com.au
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