Bravehearts Founder Calls on Canberra Catholic Archbishop to Resign

By Katie Burgess
Canberra Times
March 1, 2017

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/bravehearts-founder-calls-on-canberra-catholic-archbishop-to-resign-20170228-gunr6i.html

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnson has called for Catholic Archbishop Christopher Prowse to resign, after revelations he moved a priest he'd stood down over inappropriately touching a child, next to two Canberra primary schools.

"If this is the man we're looking to in this region to protect children, then we're looking in the wrong direction," Ms Johnson said.

Catholic Archbishop Christopher Prowse says it was a mistake not to tell the principal of Malkara School about the past of the priest he moved in next door.

"No one should have any faith within that establishment with their children's safety and wellbeing any longer. If that man was to live in that house for a nanosecond it would be too long, let alone two years. I think the archbishop needs to resign. He clearly doesn't get it and he never will."

Her call comes after Archbishop Prowse admitted it was a "mistake" not to tell the principal of a Canberra special needs school about the past of a retired priest he moved in next door.

While the principal of Sts Peter and Paul Primary School was allegedly briefed about the accusations that forced Archbishop Prowse to stand down former Tumut parish priest Father Brian Hassett, the principal of the neighbouring Malkara School was not told until "just recently", he told ABC radio on Wednesday morning.

"We should have [told them], that was a mistake," Archbishop Prowse said. "I must say we could have done better."

The ACT Education Directorate said it only learnt of the former priest's background on Tuesday.

"The directorate took very quick action to contact the Institute for Professional Standards and Safeguarding to express its serious concern about this matter. The directorate also formally wrote to the Archbishop yesterday [Tuesday] seeking assurances that this matter will be resolved to the expectations of the community," a spokeswoman said.

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnson said Archbishop Prowse should resign after moving a priest who had been investigated for improperly touching a child next to two schools.

"The school took swift action to inform all Malkara school parents yesterday [Tuesday] about the information that had become available to the school. An email was sent to all parents yesterday and a hard copy of the letter is in every school bag today."

Father Brian was moved to Lanigan House, a home for retired clergy, about two years ago after complaints about inappropriate behaviour towards children were made against him in Tumut.

A spokesman for the church told Fairfax Media on Tuesday one complaint related to a boundary violation and one to inappropriate touching.

The claims were investigated by the Archdiocese of Canberra-Goulburn under the NSW Reportable Conduct Scheme and were substantiated, the spokesman said, however no criminal charges were laid.

Archbishop Prowse said the former priest was assessed as "low risk" and rendered nearly immobile by ill health, making it even more unlikely he would come into contact with students at the neighbouring schools.

"There's a lot of supervision where he is. If you just place somebody in a house on his own, what assurance can the church give to the ongoing supervision?" he told the radio station.

However he said the archdiocese would find somewhere else for him to live.

Archbishop Prowse's admission that he moved the priest next to the schools stood in contrast with the statements he made at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, where he highlighted the moves he made his archdiocese to improve transparency and accountability.

Archbishop Prowse told ABC radio the past three weeks had been a "wake-up call".

But Ms Johnson said, "If he doesn't understand it now, after everything the royal commission has shown them and all of the teachings coming out of there, the real life experience, the people whose trauma has been filling the halls of that royal commission, if he hasn't heard that yet, then he never will and if he can't change, then he needs to retire because he's the wrong person for that job."