SYDNEY (NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
July 7, 2020
By Elle Rixon
A former Catholic priest, accused of 139 child sexual offences spanning four decades, has died awaiting trial.
David Joseph Perrett, 82, was accused of assaulting 40 victims across eight parishes between the 1960s to 1990s, and had a trial date set for January 2021.
At his last appearance in court, in November 2019, Mr Perrett pleaded not guilty to the 139 charges.
In a statement, Bishop of Armidale Michael Kennedy said Perrett’s death would bring “significant disappointment” for alleged victims.
“His death means that survivors will not get to see these charges heard in court,” Bishop Kennedy said.
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.