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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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New Zealand Herald
July 6, 2002

Complaints against ex-priest mount
by Catherine Masters

Six new complaints have been lodged with the police against a Catholic priest featured in the Weekend Herald last week for abusing boys in the 1980s.

They follow three existing complaints from police investigations into the then Father Alan Woodcock in the 1990s.

Upper Hutt CIB head, Detective Sergeant Murray Porter, expects the number to grow.

Woodcock was defrocked some years ago and the Herald understands he is unemployed and living in England.

Police and Interpol will consider extraditing him once any other alleged victims have been given a chance to come forward.

Telephone lines set up by Catholic orders to take sexual abuse complaints against priests and clergy are running hot since an apology last week by bishops for abuse committed by men in the church's ranks.

But while some callers have been referred to the police, others are revealing abuse outside the church and more still just want to chat.

A national helpline (0800-111-515) has been set up by the church to streamline calls. It will be staffed during weekday office hours, with an answerphone for after-hours calls.

Ten people have been referred to the police by the Society of Mary after ringing its 0800 number (0800-764-357) to complain about Woodcock.

A further 10 of the Society of Mary calls related to other Catholic abuse cases but were historical and, apart from one instance, the accused individuals are dead.

Nearly 40 calls related to people outside the Catholic Church and these have been formally reported to appropriate agencies, including some allegations about ministers from other religions. Society of Mary deputy leader Father Tim Duckworth would not comment on these.

Some whose story did not relate to the Catholic Church were ringing because publicity about abuse had revived memories of their own abuse, he said. "Some people just want to talk about their life and things that happened in their life.

"A lot of people have had family abuse and they had nowhere to turn when this came up again for them. Sometimes it's just a conversation they want, somebody to listen to their story."

Father Duckworth said none of the calls were about new cases, but it was still possible people might come forward. He would say little about Woodcock's present activities, except that information from the police meant he had no concerns at the moment.

Mr Porter also refused to say much because he did not want to jeopardise any investigation or possible extradition proceedings.

Sexual abuse by priests has been a hot topic since the Catholic Church revealed in the Weekend Herald two weeks ago that 38 cases had been substantiated since the 1950s.

The church's director of communications, Lyndsay Freer, said that around 200 calls had been made to various hotlines and she was surprised at the high number.

But it was too early to say how many more cases of abuse would be substantiated.