NZ Herald
May 20 2004

14 women raped by priest, MPs told
NZPA


A woman says a predatory priest who raped her and at least 13 others has escaped punishment and continues to offend due to weak laws.

The woman told Parliament's law and order committee yesterday that in the late 1960s and early 1970s she had been a troubled adolescent and needed help. She was sent to a priest who was the school counsellor.

"Throughout my college years a relationship of trust was established between us," she said in a written submission.

"I was unable to see that it was not about trust, but about him engaging in the process of grooming me for his future sexual offending against me.

"He waited until after I was old enough to leave school before he raped me - he got me drunk; there was no consent."

She told MPs that the priest continued to prey upon her.

"He later raped me when I was an adult and living in a refuge with my twin babies and 5-year-old after my marriage ended.

"I told no one of these offences because I expected no one to believe that a priest could do this."

In the last few years, the woman had confronted the Catholic Church and made a statement to police.

"Because of various provisions in the Crimes Act 1961, this man cannot be questioned or prosecuted, despite the fact that I have uncovered the existence of at least 13 other of his victims," she said

The woman appeared before the committee in support of widening legislation to protect vulnerable people from sexual predators.

She believed that if current proposals to change the law had been there 30 years ago the priest would be behind bars.

"Had some of the proposals contained within the Crimes Amendment Bill already been codified in law, this predator, who police suspect may still be offending against vulnerable young people, would now be in jail."

The woman said laws covering men who took advantage of impaired and vulnerable people for sex should be further strengthened.

Present law prohibits "sexual intercourse with a severely subnormal woman or girl".

The proposals before the committee would make it an offence punishable by 10 years in jail to have "exploitative sexual connection of a person with significant impairment".

- NZPA