Melbourne Archdiocese put church interests first with catastrophic consequences: royal commission

By Nicole Asher
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
December 5, 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-05/melbournes-archdiocese-culture-of-secrecy-royal-commission/9228452

There was prevailing culture of secrecy under former Archbishop Frank Little's leadership, the royal commission found.

Father Peter Searson was the parish priest in Doveton for more than a decade, despite abuse allegations against him.

The former Melbourne Catholic Archbishop Frank Little led a culture of secrecy to protect the interests of the church ahead of abuse victims, the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse has concluded.

A report released by the royal commission today details how Archbishop Little covered up abuse allegations and moved offending priests to other parishes, where they continued to offend.

The report follows public hearings last year, where the royal commission was told of abuse allegations against seven priests in the Melbourne Archdiocese, including Father Peter Searson.

Father Little moved Father Searson from the Sunbury Parish after a string of allegations in the decade to 1984, including accusations he raped a woman, and threatened a girl with a knife.

He was moved to Doveton Parish where he continued to be the subject of complaints.

In its report, the commission accepted Archbishop Little, who led the Melbourne Archdiocese from 1974 to 1996 and died in 2008, knew of child sexual abuse and failed to alert police.

"We are satisfied that, by October 1986, the complaints that Archbishop Little was aware of in relation to Father Searson's conduct with children were sufficient for any reasonable person to form the view that he ought to be removed from the parish ministry," the commission reported.

Father Searson remained the priest at Doveton until he was placed on administrative leave in 1997 by then Archbishop George Pell.

He died in 2009.

Graeme Sleeman was a principal at Holy Family School while Father Searson was in Doveton, and quit in protest after the church failed to act on his reports a student had accused the priest of abusing her.

He said he hoped the royal commission's findings would lead to change in the church.

"I think it's criminal what took place," Mr Sleeman said.

"I still hark back and I still have the regret that my voice fell on empty deaf ears and even after I left Doveton more children were abused and put at risk by Searson because no-one did anything to shift him on."

One victim, referred to as BVC, told the royal commission he was abused by Father Searson from the middle of 1992 as a grade five student at Holy Family School.

The commissioners said if the priest had been removed earlier, BVC may never have been sexually abused.

"The experience of BVC demonstrates the catastrophic human consequences of inaction," the report said.

"We are satisfied that the evidence in the [Melbourne Archdiocese] case study showed a prevailing culture of secrecy within the Archdiocese, led by Archbishop Little.

"Complaints were dealt with in a way that sought to protect the Archdiocese from scandal and liability and prioritised the interests of the church over those of the victims."

Melbourne's current Archbishop, Denis Hart, accepted the report showed there had been a culture of secrecy in the Archdiocese.

Archbishop Hart said the mishandling had led to unnecessary suffering for victims and their families.

"We will learn from this case study and the upcoming royal commission's report and I make a commitment to greater transparency in our processes, in order to assist victims and their families."