The Dominion Post
May 18 2004
Former judge advised school on rogue priest
by Fran Tyler
THE Catholic Church
knew paedophile priest Alan Woodcock had a predilection for boys before it made
him a teacher at a
When knowledge of his offending began to spread, the church was helped to keep
it out of the public eye by a former chief district court judge, an ex-pupil of
the school.
Woodcock, 56, pleaded guilty yesterday to 21 charges relating to the sexual
abuse of 11 boys between 1978 and 1987 when he was teaching at
Woodcock was extradited from
Documents reveal the church was aware before it appointed Woodcock to St
Patrick's that he had been convicted of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old youth
in
Woodcock was moved out of
Court documents show that, while at St Patrick's, Woodcock made friends with
boys by offering cigarettes. He enticed them to his bedroom and performed
indecent acts on them. One victim described his sexual appetite as
"voracious" and "rampant".
After several students complained of abuse, the school advised Woodcock to get
a passport. It also set up a list of rules he had to follow, such as not having
boys in his bedroom with the door closed "unless the visit is of a
confessional nature or a similarly private matter".
At the end of that year he was quietly moved to Highden
noviate in Palmerston North.
When one of Woodcock's victims, Terry Carter, went to the media in 1994 the
church consulted Judge Peter Trapski.
In a 1994 church document Judge Trapski is reported
to have advised the church to place "confidential material" about Woodcock
into his employment file but within a separate envelope labelled secret.
Judge Trapski told the church he believed it would be
restricted in responding to the media allegations by a 1979 suppression order
on Woodcock's conviction for sexual assault, the document said. But he went on
to say that he thought "something could be said . . . but to keep the
pressure away from it".
"And any reference would be in light of recent developments -- eg, we have a very firm suspicion that there was a previous
incident. As a result, certain actions were taken . . . or . . . subsequent
investigations indicate this may not have been the first . . . ," the
church document said.
It goes on to state that Judge Trapski and another
trustee reduced the media statement "to something quite bland".
"Peter thought the newspapers will now keep quiet till there is actual
substance," it said.
In another document Judge Trapski urged a proactive
response to media inquiries.
He advised the church to find Woodcock. "The media will be able to find
him and it would be better for us to find him first," the document says
Judge Trapski advised.
Judge Trapski retired from the bench in 1989, and
till 1993 was a member of the Waitangi Tribunal. In 1995 he was appointed judge
advocate-general. The same year he received a papal knighthood from the
Several attempts by The Dominion Post yesterday to contact Judge Trapski were unsuccessful. His secretary said he was out of
contact.
Society of Mary spokesman Father Tim Duckworth said yesterday that Judge Trapski was a member of the Silverstream college's
trust board and was involved in assisting the church to set up the complaints
procedure and protocol committee, which aims to assist victims of abuse.
"I imagine that his advice re law and the committees was sought at
times."
In a statement issued yesterday, Society of Mary Provincial Father
Dennis O'Hagan said he deeply regretted what had happened.
"I do not offer any excuses, nor do I wish to retreat in any way from my
apology and deep regret. I also very much regret that errors
of judgment were made in the past.
"With the wisdom of hindsight we can see how inadequate the response was
at the time of Mr Woodcock's offending and at the time people acted according to
the expert advice they received.
"Sadly, that was inadequate."