Catholic priest’s alleged inappropriate conduct kept hidden from school nearby his residence for ‘privacy reasons’

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Jesse Dorsett

The Catholic Church decided not to tell a Canberra primary school a priest living next door had been accused of inappropriate conduct with children because it was concerned about his privacy, an independent report has found.

The historical allegations involve two girls, and include the priest putting his arms around an 11 or 12-year-old from behind and nibbling her ear when they were alone in a Tumut church in the Riverina.

While the alleged victims decided not to press charges, a church report found the complaints were sustained and the man was removed as the parish priest.

But his lawyers denied he was guilty of any misconduct.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.