By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
POLICE wrongly dismissed a child’s accusations of sexual abuse by Doveton’s Holy Family Parish priest Father Peter Searson, a senior police officer has stated.
Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana, who oversees the police’s child exploitation and sexual offences investigation units, told a Royal Commission hearing on 2 December that he disagreed with a police assessment at the time that there wasn’t a sexual offence.
Mr Fontana said that the statement by complainant Julie Stewart to police in 1990 showed “quite clearly there was an indecency around” Fr Searson’s actions.
“I think the whole circumstances (were) surrounded with indecency.”
Earlier at the Royal Commission, Ms Stewart gave a graphic account of Fr Searson’s repeated indecent assault of her as a nine-year-old in the privacy of the Catholic confession box next to the parish’s school in 1984-85.
Her complaint was backed by the school principal, staff and students at the parish school but dismissed by senior clergy.
Ms Stewart stated to the commission that the police probationary constable who interviewed her about the matter said: “Oh my God, what were you wearing, a neon sign above your head, saying ‘come and get me’?”
The comment re-traumatised her and caused her to shut down during the interview, Ms Stewart told the hearing.
Mr Fontana said the officer didn’t recall making the comment but unreservedly apologised if he said anything offensive.
“He was mortified when he heard it.
“I was surprised… that a probationary constable would be taking a statement of that nature.”
According to a police report on the matter exhibited at the hearing there were “nil offences disclosed as previously believed”.
“All Searson has done is sit the child on his knee and get the children to kiss him on the cheek,” the report stated.
In 1993, police investigated Fr Searson over allegedly holding a knife to a student’s chest and threatening her.
Mr Fontana told the hearing that one of the investigators described Fr Searson as “the coolest and most polished suspect he’d ever interviewed… at that time”.
That investigation was abandoned due to the girl’s parents not wishing to proceed with charges but police followed up their concerns with the Catholic Church.
“(He) recalls that, to his disappointment, he was informed that unless Searson was convicted of an offence, no action would be taken by the Catholic Church against him.”
Despite repeated requests for Fr Searson’s dismissal, he survived accusations at the school for 13 years.
These included pointing an army service revolver at child cleaners, assaulting children, showing a dead body in a coffin to children, flinging a cat by its tail to its death, and killing a baby bird with a screwdriver in front of children.
At one stage, he asked his clergy bosses for permission to conduct an exorcism.
The Royal Commission heard that Fr Searson had written to request a transfer to another parish in 1986.
At the hearing, Archbishop Denis Hart agreed with an assertion that his predecessor Frank Little refused to agree to Fr Searson’s request because there was no suitable parish to send him to.
The Royal Commission continues.
