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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Press
July 24, 2002

Extradition ' could take years'
NZPA

Police attempts to extradite former Marist priest Alan Woodcock for alleged sex offences could take years if he does not come willingly, a lawyer experienced in extradition proceedings says.

Upper Hutt police said on Monday they would try to extradite Woodcock, 54, who is understood to be living in Britain.

Woodcock is alleged to have abused nine boys in the Wellington region between 1982 and 1987. Most were students at St Patrick's College Silverstream, where Woodcock taught for a year in 1982.

But Auckland barrister Jim Boyack said yesterday that even if British police quickly found Woodcock, it did not necessarily mean a speedy extradition. Extradition was subject to a court hearing, at which police would have to prove they had a strong case against Woodcock, he said.

"There are safeguards to prevent people being removed from where they are living just because a crime is alleged."

Presuming Woodcock was in Britain, a hearing would be held in the British equivalent of New Zealand's District Court, Mr Boyack said. If police won the hearing he would still have the right of appeal to the High Court, then the appeal court, then finally the House of Lords.

Such a series of appeals could delay an extradition as much as two years, he said.

Lower Hutt counsellor Brent Cherry, who counsels two alleged victims of Woodcock, said he hoped Woodcock would return to New Zealand willingly.

The Society of Mary, the Catholic order to which Woodcock belonged, has welcomed police moves to extradite him.

Woodcock, ordained in 1972, was convicted of a sex offence against a man in Christchurch in 1979. Despite the conviction, the order appointed him to St Patrick's in 1982.

He was removed at the end of the year, but returned to Wellington in 1984, only to be moved on again when fresh abuse allegations surfaced. He returned again in 1987, but after yet more abuse allegations he was banned from practising ministry. He left the order in 1991.

Police initially received three complaints against Woodcock in 1994 and 1995. They got six more in the last three weeks, after publicity.