Armidale and Parramatta 1979 to 2017: A bishop moved a priest he believed a danger to children and passed him to another diocese without warning; the priest was convicted of 79 offences

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

1. Farrell's teachers and fellow seminarians found him "unusual", many thought him unsuitable as a priest; he was nevertheless ordained in 1981. In May 2016 he came before the court for 79 offences against twelve children aged 9 to 18 from 1979 to 1988 and was sentenced to an aggregate 29 years, with a non-parole period of 18 years. He had been laicised in 2005.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 17

   „Farrell’s teachers and colleagues at the Springwood seminary found him ‘unusual’ and many thought him unsuitable as a priest.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 18

   „The offences related to 12 complainants and were committed over a nine-year period between December 1979 and December 1988. The complainants were aged between nine and 18 at the time of the offences.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 18

   „Judge Zahra SC imposed an aggregate sentence of 29 years, with a non-parole period of 18 years.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 17

   „Farrell was laicised in November 2005.“

How were they charged and sentenced?

1. When parents in Moree raised allegations, a priest told them that no one had the right to ruin another person's reputation. Bishop Henry Kennedy moved Farrell to Tamworth East in 1984 although, according to the commission, he believed Farrell posed a serious risk to children; he told the parish priest there it was "the usual thing, he was messing around with altar boys". According to the commission this indicates that Kennedy knew of other priests who had abused altar boys, or at least of allegations. When Farrell was charged in 1987, the diocese paid his legal expenses; the charges were dismissed in 1988.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 18

   „Father Gleeson told them that ‘No-one has the right to ruin another person’s reputation’“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 19

   „We are satisfied that, at the time Farrell was appointed to the Tamworth East parish, Bishop Kennedy believed that Farrell posed a serious risk to the safety of children.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 19

   „it’s the usual thing, he was messing around with altar boys“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 19

   „This indicates to us that Bishop Kennedy knew of other priests who had sexually abused altar boys or at least of allegations that they had.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 20

   „The Diocese of Armidale paid Farrell’s legal expenses.“

What happened to those affected?

1. According to a letter from Father Wayne Peters to Bishop Manning, on 3 September 1992 Farrell admitted before Peters, Father Brian Lucas and Monsignor John Usher that he had sexually abused five boys aged ten and eleven in Moree. The Royal Commission accepts that the admissions were made and rejected the contrary evidence of Lucas and Usher. None of the three reported it to the police; the church protocol did not require this. After the 2012 television programme "Unholy Silence", according to the commission, the three put their heads together to produce an account in their own interests. An inquiry commissioned by the Church under Antony Whitlam had concluded in 2012 that the three did not cover anything up.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 25

   „admitted that there had been five boys around the age of ten and eleven that he had sexually interfered with in varying degrees in the years approximately 1982 to 1984 while he was the assistant priest at Moree“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 33

   „we accept that on 3 September 1992 Farrell made the admissions set out in the first letter from Father Peters to Bishop Manning dated 11 September 1992. We reject the evidence of Father Lucas and Monsignor Usher to the contrary.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 33

   „We make no findings as to why none of Fathers Lucas, Usher and Peters reported to the police the admissions made by Farrell in 1992. We note that the SIRG protocol did not require them to do so.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 33

   „Father Lucas, Monsignor Usher and Father Peters put their heads together to come up with an account which was in each of their own interests.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 34

   „Mr Whitlam QC concluded that Fathers Usher, Lucas and Peters did not ‘cover-up’ admissions allegedly made by Farrell at the 3 September 1992 meeting.“