NSW: Priest sacked choirmaster without seeing key statements
By Kylie Walker, Industrial Reporter
SYDNEY, Aug 26 AAP - A senior Catholic priest today said he sacked a Sydney choirmasterover child sex allegations without having seen the statements of the two boys who claimedthey were abused.
Monsignor Tony Doherty, the dean of St Mary's Cathedral, was the final witness to appearat music director David Russell's six-month unfair dismissal hearing, which finished hearingevidence today.
Father Doherty dismissed Mr Russell in February this year after two former choirboysalleged the choirmaster had seen them being abused by a paedophile in his loungeroom,but had done nothing about it.
Today in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) hearing, Fr Doherty said hisdecision to sack Mr Russell relied upon a report written about the two men's statementsto police, and a request from the Ombudsman for an investigation into the complaints.
"I wasn't aware of the specifics or the detail of the reports," Fr Doherty said.
"I did not ask for them.
"I did not regard further investigations necessary."
Fr Doherty took the decision not to investigate further or read the detail of the allegationdespite having known Mr Russell for more than 20 years.
There were several inconsistencies between the two men's accounts of the alleged sexabuse incident, but Fr Doherty dismissed them as "minor".
He agreed with Mr Russell's lawyer Ian Neil that the accusations against Mr Russellwere "extraordinary" and it was "inherently unlikely" that the incident had occurred.
Mr Russell took the Catholic Church to the IRC in an attempt to win back his job aspart-time choirmaster at the inner-Sydney cathedral.
He has denied ever having witnessed any child sex abuse.
IRC Deputy President Rod Harrison this afternoon adjourned the hearing until October27, when he will hear closing submissions from both sides before considering whether MrRussell was unfairly dismissed.
AAP kbw/nf/drp/de
KEYWORD: CHOIRMASTER NIGHTLEAD
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий