Australian Senator Nick Xenophon names and shames rapist priest...
Xenophon names and shames priest
Nick Xenophon has used parliamentary privilege to name a priest accused of raping an Archbishop.
Senator Nick Xenophon has named a Catholic priest who is at the centre of rape allegations. AdelaideNow
UPDATE 6.50pm: THE Catholic priest who was last night named by
Senator Nick Xenophon over sex abuse claims has today denied any
wrongdoing.
The priest had previously categorically denied raping Adelaide-based Anglican Archbishop John Hepworth decades ago.He further denied the claims in a brief statement read to journalists this afternoon.
Flanked by a supportive parishioner and chair of the parish council, the priest reiterated his denial.
"Firstly I wish to state I am aware of John Hepworth's unsubstantiated allegations against me through an inquiry instigated by the Archbishop of Adelaide.
"As the inquiry is ongoing I have nothing further to say apart from denying the allegations."
He said he was going on holiday this weekend, as arranged before the allegations surfaced over the weekend.
The independent SA Senator last night lobbed a grenade at the Adelaide archdiocese, naming the respected local priest that he claims is at the centre of rape allegations.
Senator Xenophon said the church only "has itself to blame''.
Naming the priest in the Senate, Senator Xenophon said: "This creates a serious moral dilemma for me. It has put me as a representative of the people of SA in a situation where I have privileged information.
"And the problem with privileged information is that it can be misused to benefit only a select few.
"The question is do the people that attend this priest's parish have a right to know that serious allegations of sexual assault have been levelled at their priest?
"If my family attended this church and if church leadership had refused to stand this priest down pending a proper investigation would I believe I had a right to know?'
Senate president John Hogg warned Senator Xenophon about the purposes of parliamentary privilege before he spoke.
Senator Xenophon said: "I don't provide this information to the Senate lightly.
"But ultimately I believe given the inaction of the Catholic Church in SA, by not setting up a proper process or standing the priest down, they have created a situation where an appropriate duty of care has not been shown to the parish.''
The South Australian Catholic Church had earlier asked Mr Xenophon not to name the priest.
“The priest concerned has categorically denied the allegations and has been a person of good standing in the archdiocese for a very long time,” the church said.
Senator Xenophon said he had received overwhelming public support for his decision to name the priest. He said he would continue his push for action by the Church.
“Today I have received a large volume of correspondence from constituents expressing serious concern about the way their claims of abuse have been processed by the Catholic Church in South Australia, and I will be working with those people in the coming days,” he said.
Victorian laws 'out of touch'
Senator Xenophon also said laws that gagged and detained "name them and shame them" crusader Derryn Hinch should be reformed.
Senator Xenophon told news.com.au Victorian laws "were demonstrably out of touch with community views and community concerns”.
Hinch, serving five months home detention, cannot praise the maverick Senator for naming the accused rapist – but his wife Chanel Hinch did just a few hours ago exclusively to news.com.au
“What this does is highlight the ludicrousness of the law currently in place in Victoria. This has to change soon," she said.
“I applaud Senator Xenophon for naming in Parliament last night a Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse.’’
News.com.au sought permission to interview Hinch from the Attorney General but this was denied.
A spokesperson for Victorian Attorney General said Hinch could not be spoken to and another for the Melbourne Magistrate’s court said this would not change unless a legal challenge was mounted to the existing court order banning him from speaking publicly.
Hinch was placed under home detention in July this year and gagged from working as a journalist or speaking to the media after he named two convicted sex offenders at a public rally and then again on his personal blog in 2008.
Lawyers acting for Mr Hinch fought all the matter way to the High Court, arguing that Victoria’s Sex Offenders Monitoring Act was unconstitutional because court proceedings must be conducted publicly but lost the case.
Hinch, who is currently recovering from a life-saving liver transplant, was sentenced to five months house arrest and banned from carrying out any media-related work including blogging, tweeting or giving interviews.
The court also banned others from carrying out media work for him.
Senator Xenophon said he had received overwhelming public support for his decision to name a priest accused of raping Adelaide-based Anglican Archbishop John Hepworth about 40 years ago. He would continue his push for action by the Church.
“Today I have received a large volume of correspondence from constituents expressing serious concern about the way their claims of abuse have been processed by the Catholic Church in South Australia, and I will be working with those people in the coming days,” he said.
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