PEDOPHILE priest Vince Ryan shattered the innocence of the young boys he molested over almost two decades, but the cover-up by the former acting Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic diocese Monsignor Patrick Cotter destroyed the boys' parents' faith in the church.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
From as early as 1974, when a man and woman told Monsignor Cotter that Ryan had molested two boys, aged six and eight, Cotter's response confronted and appalled Catholics in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese.
"I can remember looking at him [Monsignor Cotter in 1974] and the colour sort of drained from his face," the woman told police in a statement as part of an investigation into whether the monsignor and others in the church had concealed Ryan's crimes.
"He had a look of anguish and shock on his face.
"He sat there and didn't say anything for a short time."
The Herald revealed on Saturday the contents of documents, including police interviews and witness statements, which indicated that Monsignor Cotter had orchestrated a cover-up of the activities of convicted pedophile priest Vince Ryan, remaining silent about the abuse from the mid-1970s. He died last month.
Police in 1996 had recommended the monsignor be prosecuted for concealing a serious crime but the charges never proceeded, in large part because of his age.
In another statement that was part of the brief of evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions, there is a reference to allegations in another part of the diocese in 1972.
The woman said the monsignor summoned Ryan, and the allegation that the priest had molested the boys the previous afternoon was put to him. She told police Ryan said: "They're just words."
"I thought to myself, so is the Catholic Church; so is parish priest. They're just words too," the woman said in her statement.
"I was expecting an apology or something and I was surprised by Father Ryan's response."
The woman told police she was "at a bit of a loss" at the reaction of both men, but "I knew in myself I couldn't put my boy through court and didn't think much else could be done".
"I thought to myself, what can I do? It is the word of a little boy against that of a Catholic priest. Basically the subject wasn't raised again, and I have lost my faith in priests in general."
In an interview with police in November 1995 after he was arrested, Ryan said he admitted to Monsignor Cotter in 1974 that he had molested the two boys when the parents raised the allegations.
In his interview with police in January 1996 the monsignor was asked if he wanted to answer questions about the 1974 allegations. On the advice of his solicitor he replied: "Don't wish to answer, no."
Parents were furious when Ryan returned to the diocese in late 1976 after a year of "rehabilitation" in Melbourne and conducted a mass for Catholic school children. The allegations relating to Ryan were known to many, one parent told police in a statement in the 1990s.
"I was ropable [about his return and saying Mass]," one woman said in a statement in 1995.
The woman said boys at the Mass refused to accept communion from Ryan, saying he was a "poofter".
The woman said she went to her son's class where she heard boys telling their teacher, a man, lurid stories about Ryan's activities.
She spoke with the teacher and later with a nun who said she would "do something about it" and later rang to say she told Monsignor Cotter.
In the 1990s when the woman's son disclosed he was a victim of Ryan's, he challenged her about "why she hadn't done anything at the time".
"I said I did what I thought was best at the time. Monsignor Cotter made a decision [to send Ryan away and bring him back again] and everyone abided by that decision," the woman said.
The woman's son continued to challenge her, she said.
"How would you like your first sexual experience to be by a Catholic priest?" he said.
"I can't believe that stronger action was not taken to keep Father Ryan away from more children to prevent this from reoccurring," the woman said in 1995.
Another woman told police she had been to see Monsignor Cotter about Ryan in 1975 and he said "it's been taken care of, the priest has been sent to Melbourne for rehab".
Yet another said she raised allegations against Ryan with a nun in 1975, who referred it to another nun, who referred it to the monsignor.
Another woman raised allegations about Ryan with the late Father Jim Hughes.
"After talking with Father Hughes about the subject he got up and walked away from me and he didn't want to know," the woman said.
"He left me sitting there . . . and I haven't been to church since. I lost my faith in the church."
A woman who rang Ryan in 1991 with yet another series of allegations relating to the early 1970s, told him she hoped he "rotted in hell", before ringing Monsignor Cotter.
"I said to him, are you aware that Father Ryan is molesting boys?," the woman told police.
"He said: 'Yes we are aware. He has been to Melbourne to get psychiatric help'.
"He sounded calm and I couldn't believe that he knew. I said to him, 'He's still a priest. What are you going to do about it?'
"He said: 'He's not doing any of it any more'."
She told police Monsignor Cotter ended the call with the words: "We'll deal with it."
"I finished the call and sat down and had a good cry," she said.
THE PRIESTS
MONSIGNOR PATRICK COTTER
The acting Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle Diocese up to June 1976. Died in August 2007.
FATHER VINCE RYAN
Sentenced in 1997 to a total of 16 years jail for child sex offences. Is eligible for release in 2010.
FATHER JIM HUGHES
Worked in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese from 1949 to 1990. Died in Ireland in 1996.
BISHOP LEO CLARKE
Took over Maitland-Newcastle Diocese from Monsignor Cotter in June 1976. Remained bishop
until 1995. Died 2006.
