AUSTRALIA
The Age
August 30, 2014
Daniel Keating
Sam Keating
Youth worker
2-3-1989 — 26-7-2014
Sam Keating, who took his own life last month at the age of 25, hid a dark secret for nearly 20 years. It was a secret we thought Sam was starting to come to terms with.
Sam was not a celebrity or a leader in his field, but he was an extraordinarily well-loved young man, an achievement more special than fame. He grew up in the coastal town of Ocean Grove with his parents and an older brother and two sisters. It was a close, loving family. The family home – on a hectare of garden – was a playground paradise. A beautiful child with whitish blond hair, Sam had a smile that endeared him to all.
His early years at the local Catholic primary school were ostensibly very happy although an incident occurred that would continue to haunt him; an incident that we now believe cost him his life.
Sam was involved in numerous sports and activities, including little athletics, football, nippers and basketball. As a teenager, while not an outstanding athlete he won an under-16 best and fairest award at the Barwon Heads footy club and a surf lifesaving nippers club championship. He was noted for his determination and ferocity, particularly at football. He also took acting classes during his secondary school years, an activity he loved. …
With encouragement from his counsellors, Sam was advised to share his dark secret, initially with us. Just over a year ago, Sam disclosed that he had been sexually abused by a locum priest when at primary school. The priest, in the vein of all paedophile cowards, ordered Sam not to tell his parents or the school under fear of rejection by us and expulsion from his school. Sam carried those demons alone for almost 20 years.
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