George Pell loomed large inside the gates of my high school, both physically and figuratively. He was our next door neighbour at St Mary’s Cathedral College for boys during his reign as Sydney’s archbishop, and as the good book commanded, we loved our neighbour.
Australia’s most powerful Catholic was warmly welcomed as a school assembly speaker and, as a guest educator, would teach me for numerous religion classes. Despite going on to rise through the ranks of the Vatican, he always left me a little uneasy — maybe it was his arched gait; maybe it was his quest to win us over with old tales of his boozy rites of passage. Cutting an imposing, 190cm tall figure, this darkly robed man would preach in a cathedral-filling voice about the virtues of celibacy. Now, he’s behind bars for raping two choirboys in the ’90s.
It might sound like his jailing didn’t come as a surprise. In fact, Pell is not the first mighty man to fall from this institution. My headmaster, Brother William Standen, was locked up in 2014 for indecent assault at a NSW boarding school in the ’70s and ’80s. In 2016 my former deputy headmaster, Christopher Rafferty, was acquitted on six historical sex charges. In the ruling, the judge stated “I well accept that the accused did sexually assault the complainant” but asserted evidence did not prove this beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each case involves decades-old accusations and claims of lasting suffering. The surprise with Pell was that the world watched the law catch up with him.
It’s important to note that I was educated well and was not abused, nor to my knowledge were my peers. That said, predators often inflict wounds so deep their prey are left too scared to open them up. Looking back, big questions hang heavy: were there victims among us? Could we have done more to protect them? If we had voiced our concerns, would anyone have listened? Studies show children have a higher awareness of adults who stare at them too long, touch them or venture too close. Conversely, adults downplay this threat.
Thus, in his disgrace, my old teacher Pell taught me one last lesson: trusting my instincts. And perhaps we could all learn something from this. It’s not always the strange man offering candy from his coat. Sometimes it’s the sibling, family friend or swimming instructor. Sometimes, there’s no red flag at all.
I’m not proposing we throne kids as the presiding judges on clergy abuse. But for too long we have brushed aside their judgement. Their bad impressions from adults — especially those wielding almighty power — could hold the key to unmasking them before it’s too late.
In spite of the latest damning revelations, prestigious Australian Catholic schools like mine are reportedly fielding more applications than ever before. And a plaque of Pell tellingly still stands on my old stomping grounds, where officials vow it will remain until his appeal is dealt with.
Until the Church embarks upon radical reforms, it’s time to listen to its most vulnerable followers.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.
First time I have heard St Marys Cathedral College referred to as “prestigious”. After this article it will probably also be the last.
Fortunately Nelson, the law does not make judgements on ‘instinct’ – facts and evidence are what we are all supposed to be respecting in our legal system.
Imagine a world where someone who does not like your ‘gait’ nor the shape of your head, and that someone happens to be a toady for the CPSU, or a plump lady who watches the comings and goings at your unit block, and one day denounces you as sexual deviant because they just don’t like your look, walk or sound of your voice? We saw it all in the good old USSR.
Nelson you write: “Christopher Rafferty, was acquitted on six historical sex charges. In the ruling, the judge stated “I well accept that the accused did sexually assault the complainant” but asserted evidence did not prove this beyond a reasonable doubt.”
What an extraordinary comment from a judge. Would the same judge say to a defendant; “I accept that you did not commit this crime, but the jury thinks you did it beyond reasonable doubt”??? Mistrial perhaps??
We just heard from Judge Kidd that he was bound by the jury’s verdict to assume Pell was guilty of the charges so found, and sentence accordingly. Kidd made large of that fact, even stressing that Pell had a ‘blameless’ life before and after the 1996 offences.
Kidd did not say something like; “My instinct is that you probably assaulted many more boys Pell, but we only got you on these two!!”.
Nelson, suggest you wait for the appeal before your instincts get totally uncontrollable.
Right. So someone who I’ve never heard of writes an article, which Crikey publishes, in which he says:
a) He went to a Catholic school to which George Pell often came to speak or teach.
b) He was not abused by Pell or indeed anyone.
c) Nor, so far as he knows, were any of his schoolmates.
d) Pell made him feel “uneasy” for reasons he can’t explain, perhaps because he was very tall and slightly stooped and told stories about youthful drinking.
e) Now Pell has been convicted of abusing two boys at a different place decades later.
And the point is what, exactly?
I thought it was a pretty obvoius point, really. Pell, and those like him, have spent decades actively covering over the activities of pedophiles in the catholic church, protecting them from scrutiny, and, one could argue, enabling their activities, to the detriment of the very people they were entrusted with.
When anything was said, it was belittled, trivialised, ignored, or worse- the priesthood actively attacked it’s accusers. And now Pell has been found guilty of the same thing himself, after years of protecting child rapists and dismissing the victims. As this person you’ve never heard of (and this invalidates his point of view?) has pointed out, when child abuse comes out in the open, it is an adult response to avert the gaze and pretend it didn’t happen, particularly when it is a pilllar of society, a man of faith. Hence we get so many allies of Pell using their positions to broadcast their thoughts, to smear the names of his accusers to protect him and the church. The strong are attacking the weak, to protect the strong. Many people also simply refuse to acknowledge that the epidemic of child abuse is actually possible, and it is easier to believe it just wouldn’t happen, and that children are just liars, or simply invisible.
That’s the real point- we should be caring more about protecting our children than our institutions or the men at the head of them. Those men are far too capable of looking after themselves.
My experience exactly. Don’t know anyone directly abused, well, sort of do but he wasn’t a friend, but a few others I do know closely never turn up at our reunions and gossip is mild and hugely respectful, in the sense of ‘there but for the grace of God, go I.’
It’s a fraught business, talking about it, but it was a scary time to be a kid.
I can guarantee you that
So were you scared? Of what? Why?
Why are people surprised when men (sic!) who (claim to) believe in sky fairies with weird dogmas demanding insane obeisance turn out to be dodgy?
Why do people allow such characters within cooee of their children, let alone entrusting them to their ministrations?
They are the poison fruit of a dead tree.
It would be appreciated by people with at least half a brain, if you would at least distinguish between false representative institutional religion and people who have discovered a spiritual reality to their existence. If you can’t do that, then at least just shut up!