AUSTRALIA
Maitland Mercury
10 May, 2012
One of the men who was allegedly abused by a Hunter priest told a Sydney District Court jury in great detail how one-on-one wrestling matches turned into regular sexual assaults when he was a young boy.
He told the court the assaults allegedly happened several times, but he didn’t tell anyone at the time because his mother “thought the world” of the priest.
The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence yesterday, revealing how the priest, who was at least 10 years older than him, would start wrestling with him, pin him to the ground by straddling him face-down and would rub himself inappropriately on the 12-year-old boy.
It is understood wrestling was a popular hobby among young boys during this time.
The pair would usually chat first before the wrestling started and it would take place at the church grounds or often at a “deserted” park on Sunday afternoons, the court heard.
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