Was PNG a training-ground for priestly child molesters?

PETER KRANZ

THERE IS A RAPIDLY ESCALATING SCANDAL in Australia about the extent and cover-up of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests, with these crimes often going back generations.

The scandal extends to many hundreds of known cases and has revealed a sorry history of denial, cover-up and connivance of Church leaders in hiding the perpetrators to avoid embarrassment.

And, as revealed late last week in NSW, there Church has even failed to fully cooperate with police inquiries, perhaps up the level of Archbishop.

Church authorities may have even conspired with misguided police officers to thwart investigations into these heinous crimes.

There have been calls for an Australia-wide Royal Commission to investigate this issue, and there are already special commissions underway in Victoria and NSW.

So what has this got to do with Papua New Guinea?

What is less well known is that a surprising number of already convicted paedophile priests have a background of service in PNG.

In fact the extent of this might lead the cynical to suggest that PNG almost acted as a training-ground for priestly child molesters, and sometimes a convenient dumping ground for the Church to send accused priests. Out of sight, out of mind.

This matter needs to be brought into the open as a public service to the people of PNG, and it needs to be investigated further as a protection for children and young people who may still well be at risk.

If you have any direct experience of such activity, you should first go to the police – not the Church.

Also, of course, people are entitled to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by proper legal process.

I provide here a summary of just a few of the priests with a PNG connection who have been convicted of child abuse.

The list was compiled by the Australian victims support organisation Broken Rites.

Edmund John Haines, committed child-sex crimes but he was caught when someone found child porn on the priest's mobile phone, a court has been told. Known by his middle name (as John Haines), he grew up in Geelong, 75km south-west of Melbourne, Australia. John Haines entered the Catholic priesthood via a "backdoor" opportunity in Papua New Guinea, where priests were scarce.

He later left PNG under mysterious circumstances and returned to Australia without clear career prospects. Then the Melbourne archdiocese, which was short of priests, accepted him for parish work in its Geelong parishes, thereby giving him access to children. The Melbourne church authorities did not look too closely into (or did not care about) Haines' background. Haines pleaded guilty in the Geelong County Court in the state of Victoria to six counts of an indecent act with a child under 16, procurement of a minor for child pornography and possessing child porn.

Father Denis McAlinden was protected for 40 years by the Church while he committed sexual crimes against young girls in parishes around Australia and also overseas. For years, the Maitland-Newcastle diocese had been transferring McAlinden backwards and forwards between New South Wales and Western Australia after he abused children in each of those states.

The Maitland-Newcastle diocese also arranged for him to be "warehoused" in Papua New Guinea for several years, in the middle of his career. (He was based in Mendi diocese for 4 years.) The Church also arranged for him to spend a year doing parish work in New Zealand to protect him from exposure in Australia.

Brother Rodger William Moloney was jailed in 2008 after the St John of God order to which he belonged spent over $1,000,000 on his defence. Moloney spent some time at SJOG’s operations in Papua New Guinea. He has been a member of the SJOG provincial council (administering the order’s operations in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific).

Marist Brother Malcolm Hall was charged with multiple sex crimes against boys and girls in 1998.  But before the case came to trial he collapsed and died. When the first allegation against Hall were made the Marist Brothers transferred Brother Malcolm out of Australia — beyond the reach of the Australian police.

Thereafter (according to details given in his death notice in the Herald Sun) Brother Hall worked in church institutions in Peshawar (in Pakistan) and in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands — places where sexual abuse by church personnel is more difficult to expose. There is no way of knowing about his behaviour in those countries. Thus, the Marist Brothers protected their brand name in Australia.

Comments

[Peter Kranz]

The case of Father Denis McAlinden is being revisited by the NSW Commission into the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Hunter region today.

He was transferred to PNG for some time, and apparently new PNG witnesses have come forward.

[Mcraney Hass]

These priests must be sanctioned and given the punishments they deserve.

[Kimpel Menchaca]

Interesting topic. Hope that what the real story behind church remain innocent for it is really brings a bad impact in Christianity.

[Clarence Morris]

Hi there,

Re New Tribes Mission in PNG. My parents worked with this organisation in PNG.

What is now coming out is a huge scandal of worldwide childabuse in boarding schools run by New Tribes Mission. The effects are devastating on many, but it was all covered up cleverly until the recent advent of social media.

Most of us thought we were just isolated cases and had often been sworn to secrecy. Of all the offenders, only one that I know of has gone to jail for historical sex offences, the others claimed some sort of immunity because they were offending outside the borders of their home country.

Fandaeagles.com is well worth a look and you are more than welcome to join in discussions.

[Peter Kranz]

PNG Exposed links to this story (with acknowledgement) and adds further information.

"Lets hope in light of the Australian precedent a sensitive and transparent debate occurs in PNG.

"With the Church playing a critical role in the delivery of services, parents in PNG must know that their children are safe."

Good comment.

http://pngexposed.wordpress.com/

Scroll down to the Nov 20 story.

[Peter Kranz]

Phil makes a good point, but surely the answer is to tackle all forms of child abuse wherever they might occur?
____________

SYDNEY (AFP) - The president of Medecins Sans Frontieres pressed Papua New Guinea's new government to address its epidemic levels of sexual and domestic violence Thursday, calling it a "humanitarian crisis".

Unni Karunakara was in the impoverished Pacific nation to visit MSF projects targeting family and sexual violence and met with officials from Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's new government to urge action on the pervasive issue.

France's MSF (Doctors Without Borders) estimates that 70 percent of women in PNG will be raped or physically assaulted in their lifetime and Karunakara said the levels of violence were unique outside a war-zone or state of civil unrest.

"There is no open warfare in the country and the violence is (inherent) in how the society negotiates disputes, how they negotiate conflict between tribes, how they negotiate relationships within the family," Karunakara told AFP by phone from the rugged Pacific nation.

"We consider it to be an ongoing humanitarian crisis."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/15393201/msf-presses-png-on-rampant-sexual-violence/

[Phil Fitzpatrick]

I suppose the religious groups draw attention to themselves because they purport to be 'good' people.

How can such people be involved in such terrible crimes one asks?

Worse still they try to cover it up when they get caught. They must be the world's greatest hypocrites.

No doubt there are similar problems in PNG as there are in Australia.

However, by focussing attention on this small minority of wrong-doers in PNG one runs the risk of ignoring the much more blatant and rampant cases of child abuse that occurs almost as a matter of course in PNG's big towns, especially Port Moresby.

In these places child abuse is an extensive commercial activity.

Concentrating on cleaning this horrendous situation up might be a better first option than targetting the churches. If you do the former the latter will get the message too.

[Kristian Lasslett]

Here are a few references that give a sense of how the Catholic Church in PNG has responded in the past to child sex abuse allegations:

http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20100824/yutok03.htm

http://www.voiceoftorot.com/news/first-protocol-for-right-relationships-in-ministry-released/

There is also this Post-Courier article from 2002, not available on the web (so I'll paste it below):

Church to Release Study on Relations
Post Courier, 6 June 2002

A CATHOLIC Church official in Papua New Guinea yesterday said the clergy like the public were subject to the law when they committed an offence like child sex abuse.

And the church had a "recovery centre" in one of the country's provinces for its clergy as well as the public who had "mental problems" which also included paedophilia, the formal name for child sex abuse.

Catholic Bishops Conference general-secretary Lawrence Stephens said this yesterday in Port Moresby when asked by the Post-Courier if there were paedophila cases reported among the local clergy in PNG.

Mr Stephens said paedophila like other sex offences was a criminal act even if members of the religious fraternity committed it. He said the issue was being discussed at the highest level in the Catholic Church.

The church's hierarchy was becoming extremely concerned about the issue.

Child sex abuse had become a controversial issue recently in Australia and America where certain people went public about being victims of sex abuse at the hands of members of the clergy.

Catholic Archbishop of Sydney George Pell was the most recent high profile member of the Australian clergy who was accused of offering bribes to cover up child sex abuse by priests he knew and who worked under him.

He said the Catholic Church some years ago commissioned a study to look at the relationship between the clergy, laymen and the public.

The study, which was called "right relationships in ministry", laid down the ground rules on the kind of relationship between the people, laymen or women and the religious fraternity. Details of the study would be released soon.

[Peter Kranz]

Phil - I posted the original story as I found there was a PNG connection for over a dozen convicted priests.

I suspect this has not been properly investigated at the PNG end therefore many young people may still be at risk. It was intended as a wake-up call, nothing more.

It extends to other Pacific countries as well.

Professor Patrick Parkinson (who advised the Catholic Church on it's Towards Healing protocol) mentioned last night on the ABC's Lateline that one accused priest was moved to Samoa to avoid questioning in Australia as recently as 2005. This is known to have happened in PNG.

[Jo Cooper]

Link is back up - I just tested it.

Phil, I'll take your comment as a general one about media reporting of a very distasteful and disturbing subject. Unfortunately there's about to be a lot more coverage in Australia.

Have a heart for the victims always in the first instance - otherwise your comments could be perceived as re-victimising.

Those who have suffered abuse have been robbed. They have had a life stolen from them, a different life that would have existed if the abuse had not occurred.

There's no voyeurs here. I would be concerned if PNG Attitude didn't report on all forms of abuse that are occurring.

[Phil Fitzpatrick]

I know that this whole paedophilia thing is serious but why do I get the impression that PNG Attitude has got caught up in a very unhealthy public prurience over the matter.

The media in Australia is awash with it. I'm reminded of the relentless interest in Bill Clinton's trousers. It is obviously a subject that needs exposure but it is also a delight for all the voyeurists out there.

Try to keep it sane folks.

[Jo Cooper]

"Just check the latest PNG news" - using 'The National' owned by Rimbunan Hijau or the 'Post Courier' owned by Murdoch?

I'd rather put my faith in PNG Attitude, Radio New Zealand, Pacific Scoop and the brave PNG bloggers.

http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2011/12/internet-emerges-as-a-force-in-the-png-media.html

Happy to stand corrected.

[Jo Cooper]

Bernard/Peter - The reality check link was working yesterday - you're right, it now says "service unavailable". Hopefully it's only down temporarily.

If you google "florida-church-bans-children-to-protect-pastor-registered-as-child-sex-offender" you'll get other links (a lot point to reality check though) - what you won't get is the two good comments unfortunately.

I'll let you know if it comes back up. Fingers crossed.

[Peter Kranz]

Does the RPNGC have a child abuse unit? No it doesn't.

It pays lip-service to women's and children's rights, but the reality is far from the good statements of intent.

Just check the latest PNG news.

[Peter Kranz]

Bernard - The realitycheck link from Jo is unavailable. The others are working.

Maybe just be a service problem.

[Bernard Yegiora]

Peter the link is blocked.

[Peter Kranz]

Father Denis McAlinden was in Mendi from 1969-72.

He was repeatedly transferred form place to place, and overseas for a period of 40 years. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he died in a Church facility in Western Australia in 1995.

The records show that he was one of the worst serial offenders.

http://brokenrites.alphalink.com.au/nletter/page148-mcalinden.html

But, as Keith says, I don't think we know if this is the father that Firmin asks about. Firmin, do you know the dates?

[Firmin Nanol]

I have heard a Fr Denis living and working in [named]Catholic Diocese in [the highlands]. Is that the person? Or could it be a different one?
___________

Firmin mentioned the diocese and the town but, as this may not be the same person, we have had to omit those details - KJ

[Jo Cooper]

Keith said, "I don't know whether the RPNGC has a child abuse unit"

I would like to know also. Can we get a report back on this? I'll ask around also.

[Peter Kranz]

Jo - just when you think things can't get much worse...

There was a submission given to the Victorian inquiry yesterday that guns and dogs were used to enforce silence in church abuse cases.

"Priest sex offenders used weapons and bestiality to scare victims into silence, a Victorian parliamentary inquiry heard yesterday."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/prime-minister-julia-gillard-has-called-a-royal-commission-into-child-sexual-abuse/story-e6frf7kx-1226515552008
__________

Commentary on this issue should not stray too far beyond PNG's shores into evidence before the various commissions of inquiry now operating in Australia; unless the evidence relates in some way to PNG or the Pacific - KJ

[Jo Cooper]

Last point - I feel I must add this. There was a case earlier this year where a church protected a convicted sex offender - he was elevated back to preaching and given greater priority than the children in the church.

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/02/21/florida-church-bans-children-to-protect-pastor-registered-as-child-sex-offender

There was a comment in the link by Julie Watkins, I think she spoke really well to the mindset of Christians faced with this:

"One of the reasons why the Catholic pedophile priest problem got so bad is an ideology of "true repentance" vs. science.

"There's bad ideology that god's grace can "cure" bad behavior -- iow, certain mental illnesses aren't acknowledged. That's dangerous.

"Another reason is there's such a shortage of priests. Another reason is their entitlement behavior that their "brotherhood" is most important, so favored collegues are given more "benefit of doubt" than accusers who are strangers. Then their arrogance and keeping secrets increase the damage."

I cannot agree more strongly with Peter's comment - go to the police, not the church.

Another current lawsuit in the United States against those in a church group who covered up sexual abuse, didn't report to police and discouraged members from taking action, demonstrates me that in the blogging world that now exists it is impossible to keep a lid on sexual abuse:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/sovereign-grace-ministries-child-abuse_n_1974568.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
_________

I don't know whether the RPNGC has a child abuse unit but, if not, this might be an appropriate moment to establish one - KJ

[Jo Cooper]

Thank you Peter for discussing this topic. I agree with Kristian on the need to handle with care.

Often a story like this can seem 'past tense' but I have no confidence that in 2012 anything is different.

I can only hope with more openness on the internet that victims will continue to bring to light and expose those who would seek to cover up abuse (keeping in mind Kristian's cautionary note).

The victims are more important than any mission or church.

Unfortunately the automatic reflex response of many organisations faced with sexual abuse allegations is to protect and defend their own and negate the experiences of victims, re-traumatising them.

This issue is bigger than the Catholic denomination and wider than just clergy - I would suggest being wide awake and alert within all religious or evangelical type organisations.

Paedophiles find these organisations attractive because of the trust, naivete and forgiveness factors.

See fanda eagles dot com, click on the forums and select the PNG topics. It's New Tribes Mission in this case.

For background watch 'All God's Children' on You Tube or google it to see the suffering that occurred in the boarding schools, Christian & Missionary Alliance in that case, and the long, uphill road that victims then had to travel to get their story out.

Last point - there is a website mk safetynet dot net (Missionary Kids Safety Net) that deals with recovery and gives hope.

[Kristian Lasslett]

A timely and important issue, well done Peter for raising it. Evidence has sporadically come to light that the Church was involved in forced removals of children in PNG (replicating a pattern elsewhere), it stands to reason other Church crimes may have occurred in PNG too.

Though I suspect it will be particularly hard for victims to report their abuse, even now.

I know in Ireland many victims went through hell trying to corroborate their claims, before a disbelieving audience (and an Irish government extremely reluctant to engage in a frontal offensive against the Church).

And Peter's 'cynical' hypothesis is not without evidence: "In fact the extent of this might lead the cynical to suggest that PNG almost acted as a training-ground for priestly child molesters, and sometimes a convenient dumping ground for the Church to send accused priests".

Certainly places like Kenya, when a British colony, was used as a dumping ground of sorts for priests 'under a cloud of accusations', so there is precedent.

This is an important issue - but one to handle with care.