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The Dominion
July 2, 2002
Complaints mount against former priest
New
Zealand police are reconsidering whether to extradite from England a former
Catholic priest accused of abusing teenage boys, as the number of complaints
about the clergy mounts.
The decision follows revelations that Marist priest Alan Woodcock, a music
teacher at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, in the 1980s, allegedly sexually
abused four boys before being removed from the school.
In total it is alleged that Mr Woodcock molested at least eight boys or young
men during his 20 years as a priest. At least three times, senior figures in
his order, the Society of Mary, were told of the allegations.
Mr Woodcock was moved several times and sent for treatment before being
suspended in 1987.
Upper Hutt CIB head Detective Sergeant Murray Porter said today that police
received a sex abuse complaint against Woodcock from
Mr Porter said at the time two other alleged victims complained to police about
Woodcock.
He would be contacting Mr Carter and the detective who handled the original
complaints in the next two days. The detective had left the force.
Mr Porter said his review of the file would be completed by mid-Wednesday. If
he believed the evidence was sufficient he would forward the file to Interpol
staff at police national headquarters for consideration. He would also lay
charges in the Upper Hutt District Court.
Mr Porter expected that a decision on extradition would be made quickly.
Meanwhile, Society of Mary spokesman Father Denis O'Hagan said today that an 0800 phone number set up for victims to report abuse had
received new allegations.
Father O'Hagan said they would be followed up but had not yet been reported to
police.
He was not sure how many calls had been received but most were
about "general situations".