Otago Daily Times
May 20 2004
Inadequate law protected priest, says victim
By Ian Llewellyn of NZPA
The woman told Parliament's law and order committee yesterday that at the end
of the 1960s and early 1970s she had been a troubled adolescent and needed
help. She was sent to the 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 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 had 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 the 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.
The woman said laws covering men who took advantage of impaired and vulnerable
people for sex should be further strengthened.
The law currently prohibits "sexual intercourse with a severely subnormal
woman or girl".
The proposals now before the committee would make it an offence punishable by
10 years' jail to have "exploitative sexual connection with a person with
significant impairment".
The woman's submission said significant impairment should also include
psychological and developmental impairment.
This would stop the exploitation of young people in a counsellor-client
relationship.