Courageous victim achieves justice
Courageous victim achieves justice
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Perth said:
"On Thursday, August 21st, a District Court jury in Perth found Fr Glenn Humphreys, a member of the Vincentian Order who served as a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Perth during the 1980s, guilty of four counts of unlawful and indecent assault dating back more than thirty years ago. He will be sentenced on October 15th.
"We wholly acknowledge the destructive effects that Fr Humphreys' criminal acts will have had on his victim and express our gratitude, admiration and support to him for his immense courage in coming forward to tell his story and for travelling from overseas to give evidence in Perth.
"We restate that child sexual abuse is a serious crime as well as a betrayal of everything the Catholic Church stands for. The Archdiocese of Perth is committed to cooperating fully with the police in their investigation of these matters.
"The Catholic Church is determined to confront the awful reality of the sexual abuse of minors by priests, religious and lay church workers, and to eradicate it from our midst.
"Should anyone wish to make a complaint or allegation of child sexual abuse against a Catholic priest, religious or lay worker, I urge them most strongly to take the matter directly to the police. They are in the best position to investigate any allegations of criminal sexual abuse fully and objectively. The Catholic Church’s Professional Standards Office in Western Australia will assist anyone to contact the appropriate police department should they need or require such assistance. The Director of the Professional Standards Office can be contacted on 1800 072 390 or 08 9422 7904.
"The Archdiocese of Perth is committed to confronting with openness and honesty the failures of the past. We are committed to provide whatever assistance, healing and hope we can to those who have suffered so badly because of the actions of some priests, religious and lay Church workers and to ensure that no-one suffers again as so many have in the past. The shame we feel at the revelation of Fr Humphreys' crimes continues to deepen our resolve."
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