Child Molestation of the RCC

Molestor -14

VIC: Priest "deserves jail" for sexually molesting children

BALLARAT, Vic, Feb 22 AAP - A Catholic priest found guilty of sexually molesting young children in his parishes during the 1960s and 1970s deserved a "substantial" jail sentence, the County Court in Ballarat was told today. The court heard Father Bryan Desmond Coffey should be jailed for abusing his position as a priest. "The community is entitled to see him punished for what he has done," prosecutor Peter Jones told the court. "He was a revered and trusted person." Coffey preyed on children "from his flock" and indecently assaulted them, Mr Jones said. Coffey, 64, of Lyons Street, Ballarat, was found guilty last week of indecently molesting numerous young children while he was working as a parish priest. He was found guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault against boys and a young girl and one count of false imprisonment. Coffey pleaded not guilty to 16 counts and was acquitted of two counts of indecent assault. The court heard glowing references to Coffey's work and the high esteem in which he was held by colleagues and parishioners. However, Mr Jones said the more Coffey demonstrated he was a good priest, the more serious the crime became. "You've got to look at the accused not only as an individual but what he was, a representative of the religious order, in which he was held in enormous faith. "The fact that they (the charges) are stale does not minimise the crime." One of the priest's victims, who was abused by Coffey when he was 11, said the assault had "a profound and devastating effect" on his life. He said in a victim impact statement read to the court that he had become an alcoholic and regularly visited a psychologist because of "what Coffey did to me". However, defence counsel Alan Marshall said his client's offending differed to that of some of his former colleagues. A forensic psychologist who analysed Coffey said there was no acknowledgement by the former priest that he gained sexual relief from his crimes. He said there was no suggestion either that there were any inducements, threats or force employed and Coffey had expressed remorse, even though he could only remember one of the incidents. Mr Marshall urged the judge to consider a suspended jail sentence due to the nature of the offences, the time span of more than 20 years since the last reported offence, his client's age and otherwise excellent character. Judge William Kelly said the case needed "deep thought" and adjourned sentencing until Friday, extending Father Coffey's bail.

AAP ra/kr/de (Ballarat Courier)
KEYWORD: COFFEY
© 1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors. Author not available, VIC: Priest "deserves jail" for sexually molesting children. , AAP General News (Australia), 02-22-1999.