Victims Demand Plaque Depicting Sex Offender Be Removed from St Mary's Catholic Cathedral

By Stephen Pigram
ABC News
September 7, 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-07/victims-of-sex-offences-demand-plaque-removed-at-st-marys-hobart/8882024

PHOTO: The plaque depicts convicted sex offender Monsignor Philip Green on the left. (ABC News: Peter Curtis)

Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy are demanding that a memorial plaque depicting a convicted offender be removed from St Marys Cathedral in Hobart.

The plaque on the external wall of the cathedral honours former Archbishop Sir Guilford Young and depicts the late Monsignor Philip Green.

PHOTO: Julian Punch hopes sharing his story will prompt change within the church. (ABC News)

In 2004 Green pleaded guilty to assaulting a former altar boy and was given a three-month suspended jail term.

Julian Punch, a prominent former Hobart priest, also claimed he was sexually assaulted by the former Monsignor.

In his new autobiography, Gay with God, Julian Punch claimed the late Monsignor assaulted him when he was a student at the Corpus Christi College at Mount Waverley in Melbourne in 1968.

Mr Punch said the plaque, which shows Green with children, must be removed.

Green was the secretary to the Archbishop and later the most senior member of the church in Tasmania.

Mr Punch said Green abused boys and vulnerable young men for more than 20 years.

"He had two victims, one of whom suicided and he was charged and he never went to jail," Mr Punch said.

"I am also aware of other people he (Green) abused and who attempted suicide.

"They hid him and even when he was found guilty he remained within the church.

"It's an absolute blasphemy.

"The church knows this pastoral scene is still on the side of the cathedral. So much for the royal commission into child abuse," he said.

Mr Punch said removing the plaque would help the victims and help the church move forward.

The victims support group, Beyond Abuse, said the plaque was disgraceful and should be removed immediately.

Spokesman Steve Fisher said it would remind Green's victims and others of the crimes committed against them.

PHOTO: Philip Green pleaded guilty in 2004 to abusing a former altar boy. (ABC News)

"It should come down today, its disgraceful that the Catholic Church have even erected it," he said.

"This is just glorifying one of their paedophiles and saying basically we don't care."

Mr Fisher said it was made worse by the fact the plaque was erected after it was found that Green had abused children.

"It is just crazy, the Catholic Church seem to still not understand the impact it has on victims.

The Archdiocese of Hobart said the plaque was erected in memory of Archbishop Young, who was until recently buried at the foot of the installation with other Tasmanian Catholic bishops.

In a statement, the church said there were "no immediate plans" to remove the artwork.

The church said it treated allegations of abuse extremely seriously and had a "zero tolerance for abuse in any form", and supported the role of police and the courts in bringing perpetrators to justice.