TVNZ - One News
May 17 2004

Ex-priest pleads guilty to sex abuse

A former Catholic priest extradited from Britain pleaded guilty to 21 sex charges. 

Alan John Woodcock, 55, faced 34 charges involving offences allegedly committed against 10 boys in Upper Hutt, Wellington and Palmerston North between 1978 and 1987. 

In Upper Hutt District Court Woodcock pleaded guilty to 21 of the charges. Police withdrew the other 13. 

The former priest put up a lengthy battle against New Zealand police seeking his extradition from Britain.

Extradition proceedings went on for 18 months before a High Court in London ordered Woodcock to return to New Zealand to face justice.

Woodcock is understood to have lived in Britain since the late 1980s. He reportedly worked at London's Heathrow Airport providing counselling and crisis intervention services for passengers and staff.

Police know little of Woodcock's movements over the past 10 years but say he was also believed to have been selling shoes in a central London store.

Woodcock left the Catholic Order of the Society of Mary in 1991 and moved to the United Kingdom.

Woodcock's former Catholic order is promising to support everybody who lays a complaint.

"We want to ensure that whatever we can do to help them can be done. We know we can't undo the damage that was done but if this is some help then we will assist the police in any way we can," Father Dennis O'Fagen said.

Pope John Paul has spoken out against the behaviour of some of his priests after a rash of cases involving men of the cloth who, under a vow of chastity, sexually abused children entrusted to them.

Lawyers for Woodcock appealed against his extradition order by saying their client would not get a fair trial in New Zealand.

The alleged abuse took place while Woodcock was working as a teacher and priest in Manawatu and Wellington in the late 70s and early 80s.

His lawyers say too much time has elapsed since the alleged offences.

When Woodcock arrived back in New Zealand by commercial jet in January he was flanked by police but spoke exclusively with One News.

He said he was pleased to be back "to resolve matters to everybody's satisfaction".

New Zealand police had a month-long window under British law to get Woodcock out of the country. They made it just three days short of the deadline.

Woodcock was remanded in custody for sentencing in Wellington District Court on June 25