AUSTRALIA
The Age
Priest accused of sexual assault asked to preside at funeral of alleged victim’s aunt, court told
June 25, 2014
Adam Cooper
Court reporter for The Age
A man who claims he was sexually assaulted by a priest as a boy reacted with disbelief when told about 40 years later that the same man would conduct his aunt’s funeral, a jury has been told.
Former priest James Henry Scannell is accused of sexually assaulting a boy at the priest’s then home in Kew between August 1970 and July 1972 when the boy was aged between 11 and 13. Mr Scannell, now 88, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of buggery.
Mr Scannell is alleged to have led the youngster into his bedroom and then sexually assaulted him one day when the boy was at the priest’s house working for pocket money.
Prosecutor Kristie Churchill, in her closing submission in the County Court on Wednesday, told the jury the boy was “frozen in fear” and experienced pain and discomfort while being assaulted.
Afterwards, the boy was told to have a shower and give confession before he walked home crying, the jury heard. He never returned to the priest’s home.
But defence counsel Max Perry told the jury it was difficult to prove one person’s allegation against another when so much time had elapsed.
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