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Royal Commission to investigate alleged links between indecent assault of Wollongong alter boy and the Vatican

By Nick Mclaren
ABC News
June 4, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-05/royal-commission-investigates-altar-boy-case-and-vatican/5502044

Allegations into the Wollongong Catholic Church's dealings with the Vatican over an alleged child sex abuse case in the 1990's are set to be investigated by the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will hold hearings into allegations involving John Gerard Nestor, who was was a priest when he was charged and found guilty of indecently assaulting a 14 year old altar boy.

The now Prime Minister Tony Abbott provided a character reference for Father Nestor and his conviction was overturned on appeal.

Nicky Davis from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, says the initial investigation will bring more cases to light.

"Wollongong is one particular area that SNAP has been aware of where there is a particularly bad cover up in that area," she said.

"It's certainly one of the worst regions where there has been a concentrated amount of abuse and survivors have not seen any sort of justice or been heard or treated."

Ms Davis is encouraging people affected by child sexual abuse in Wollongong to contact the Royal Commission.

"I don't think that this one case is going to get the full picture of what's been going on in Wollongong and I hope that even though I know the Royal Commission is taking a case study approach and they won't be looking at everything, that they do spend more time on Wollongong than just this one case."

Retired academic Dr Bernard Barratt from the support group Broken Rites says the reason the case under investigation came to light is because a complaint was made to detectives, not the Catholic Church or local police.

"This led to a court case in 1997 where a magistrate convicted Father Nestor of sexual offences against this former altar boy," he said.

"Nestor was given a jail sentence.

"But of course he appealed as you would, which meant he didn't start his jail sentence until the appeal was heard, and the appeal was heard in the District Court.

"The appeal judge for legal reasons granted his appeal so the conviction was quashed."

The Wollongong church banned Nestor but he appealed to the Vatican which decreed in 2001 Nestor must be reinstated.

Following a lengthy process from Wollongong he was struck off the clergy list in 2008.

The Catholic Bishop of Wollongong Bishop Peter Ingham has been called as a witness to appear before the Royal Commission.

Bishop Ingham has issued a press release again apologising to victims and families of sexual abuse by Catholic Church personnel.




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