NZ Herald
May 22 2004
Sex abuser's sisters bring him home to face justice
by Eugene Bingham
In the middle of a summer's night in Greece, the law caught up with Alan
Woodcock.
For years, the former Catholic priest had avoided facing justice for the sexual
abuse of a string of boys. Now there was no escaping.
His sisters, members of the Sisters of St Joseph of Nazareth religious order,
had helped police to track him down to
Using a phone number given to him by one sister, Detective Sergeant Murray
Porter rang the one-time Marist priest turned music therapist and counsellor
turned unemployed shoe salesman.
Mr Porter told him
He had two choices - go back to
Woodcock, Mr Porter recalled this week, did not say much during that phone call
out of the blue one night in August 2002.
But soon he was flying back to
Friends in
In June 2002, the Weekend Herald had broken the
story of Woodcock's offending, revealing a series of sex crimes during his
time at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, a centre in
Authorities from his order, the Society of Mary, knew of the abuse during the
20 years Woodcock was a priest. Initially, they dealt with it by applying the
church's ill-fated, ill-advised "geographical solution" - moving him
whenever complaints arose and hushing things up.
They had also tried counselling, but the ultimate resolution for
Woodcock left the Marist residence where he was staying in
Back in
By the mid-1990s, the Marists had changed their attitude and they tried to
persuade Woodcock to return and answer police questions.
But Woodcock refused to be interviewed or return to
Mr Porter said this week that it was not until further victims came forward,
prompted by the mid-2002 publicity, that police were able to advance the case.
Enter Woodcock's sisters, Sister Colleen and Sister Catherine.
Through their co-operation, Woodcock returned to
He appeared before a
"[The attack] hardened his resolve to fight extradition," said one
source. "He was at the time fighting himself, his addictions and his past.
He wanted it to go away - but probably as painlessly as possible."
For 15 months, he fought extradition, telling the High Court in
His appeals were dismissed and Mr Porter and Detective Sergeant Stu Mills escorted him back to
At
Mr Porter did not want to discuss the case with his prisoner there and then
because he did not have a lawyer available. Instead, they chatted on the plane
about rugby and politics.
At
Mr Porter said he had been impressed by Sister Colleen and Sister Catherine.
"They were both very keen right from the outset to have it resolved and
for him to come back and face up."
After talks with Woodcock's lawyer, Greg King, and the victims, some charges
against Woodcock were dropped and replaced with others.
On Monday, Woodcock, 56, was prepared to plead guilty.
Justice took a long time coming, but in the end it came swiftly thanks, in
part, to two sisters.