Paedophile Catholic Priest Aged 72 Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

By Tim Barlass
Border Mail
February 26, 2016

http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/3753352/paedophile-catholic-priest-aged-72-sentenced-to-two-years-in-prison/?cs=7

A 72-year-old former Sydney Catholic priest given six months to a year to live has been sentenced to two years and three weeks in jail for sexual assault against teenage boys.

Father Robert Flaherty, who committed the offences in the 1970s and 1980s was allowed to remain seated in the dock at the Downing Centre court with his walking stick in front of him as the sentence was announced.

He had previously pleaded guilty to three charges against two boys but was found guilty in a jury trial last September for two offences committed against an altar boy at the priest's Mollymook holiday home.

Sentencing Judge Richard Cogswell, SC, said that Flaherty's age and health together with the impact of a prison sentence must be reflected in the non-parole period.

"I sentence you to two years and three weeks imprisonment, the sentence to commence today," he said.

He added, however: "I will fix your non-parole period at six months and direct that you will be released on August 24, 2016."

The court was told on Friday that Cardinal James Freeman and Bishop Edward Kelly, both now dead, had allowed Flaherty to move from parish to parish, despite knowing that he had sexually assaulted a young boy.

He was a priest and assistant priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in St Marys, churches in Guildford, Woy Woy, and Auburn as well as at St Patrick's Church, Blacktown and St Monica's Church, Richmond.

Flaherty was only arrested only in 2013 after one victim had the courage to go to police after the announcement of the royal commission into child sex abuse.

The most serious offences took place in Mollymook after he took a group of boys there on holiday. He read them ghost stories and "told them about the birds and the bees" on the night of the offences. He told the boy not to tell his parents because they would never believe him.

The court heard that Flaherty, now living in Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, had medical issues included diabetes, obesity, renal failure, prostate problems and dementia. He suffered from depression and led a very isolated life according to medical reports.

One victim, in his victim impact statement told the court last Friday that the sexual assault resulted in him resigning as an altar boy, sitting at the back of the church instead of the front row with his family and "rolling my eyes whenever my parents made me say Grace before a meal".

He said he didn't want his parents to know of the assault as they were still in denial about a Catholic brother they knew who had been arrested and who had pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse.

"They were not worried about the victims in this case, they were worried about how the church would react to the damage that it would do their parish," he said.

Of Flaherty he added: "I have come to realise that by abusing me it gave him a power trip. A power trip knowing he could manipulate and do evil things yet hold his head up knowing he could explain the evil things away simply because of his standing in the Catholic Church."

Despite the sentence Flaherty was not taken into custody after the judge later ruled the sentence to begin tomorrow when he will decide if he should be eligible for bail.

Flaherty's defence counsel said an intention to appeal on conviction had commenced and that he should be eligible for bail. However, prosecution will argue that he should begin the sentence immediately.