May 08, 2013
by: Dan Box
A CATHOLIC priest being investigated for pedophile crimes was tipped off by a nun before his arrest, the former investigating policeman and current NSW MP Troy Grant says.
Mr Grant, the Nationals MP for Dubbo in the state’s west, said he is prepared to give evidence of this as well as alleged cover-ups by senior clergy to the NSW special commission of inquiry into child abuse next month.
Speaking outside the hearing, after giving evidence this morning, Mr Grant said that church officials had colluded to hide serious sex offences.
“There were individuals who acted completely inappropriately, commensurate with their pastoral care. I believe they acted illegally,” he said.
During the 1990s and before he entered parliament, Mr Grant led a successful prosecution of pedophile priest Vince Ryan in the Catholic diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. During this investigation, he said he was visited by a nun to discuss the inquiry. The nun subsequently tipped Father Ryan off the night before his arrest, Mr Grant said.
Speaking outside the inquiry, Mr Grant said he had evidence of cover-ups by senior clergy within the diocese dating back as far as 1974. He is expected to be recalled to give further evidence to the inquiry next month.
“Their level of culpability has never been tested in the court system, they’ve never been questioned or put before their peers to answer for what they did,” he said.
“What they did in 1974, 1975, 1981 and then 1995 meant that a lot of (church abuse) victims need not have been victims – that’s where the tragedy is.”
Perverting the court of justice is regarded as a serious offence in most established legal codes. This”nun”(as always they seem to remain anonymous) appears likely that she too will “beat the charges” …are there no lengths these people will go to victimise the victims and protect the perpetrators.
Are we now having to take seriously the viewpoint shared by many that the Roman Church now has to be regarded as a criminal organisation? Maybe not for now…but as more revelations are projected into the public domain this opinion may become prevalent.