BY DAKOTA TAIT
The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is under fire, after an apparent silence following the death of priest and convicted paedophile Vincent Ryan.
It's understood, he passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 84, after a period of poor health.
The Clergy Abused Network (CAN) was informed about the death last Wednesday.
Of a number of victims and families of victims who were contacted by the organisation, none knew or had been told by the Diocese.
The Diocese declined to comment, but did confirm Mr Ryan's passing.
CAN co-founder and chairperson Robert O'Toole described the silence as disappointing, but not surprising.
He says the survivors and the families of victims should have been informed as a courtesy, and it shouldn't be up to him to let them know.
"I think it's remiss of the Diocese not to advise those affected or directly affected people," he said.
"It's not unusual that the Diocese or the Catholic Church generally wouldn't comment. I mean, we've experienced that in this Diocese as recently as last year, with another episode where there was no comment on a known perpetrator."
Mr Ryan was convicted of sexually abusing 37 children, first charged in 1995 and serving a number of prison sentences throughout his life.
He was the first Catholic priest in Newcastle, and one of the first in the world, to be convicted for child sexual abuse.
Mr O'Toole says his death could be a chance for closure, but survivors will still be left with questions and trauma.
"I think they're angry, because the Diocese or the Catholic Church hasn't laicised [removed from the clergy] Ryan," Mr O'Toole said.
"He remained a priest up until the time of his death, even though he unable to promote himself or practice as a Catholic priest.
"We lobbied long and hard for him to be laicised, but that has to come from the Pope in Rome, and he just wasn't forthcoming, despite the fact that there are others who have been incarcerated for lesser time and many fewer offences.
"They have been laicised, but Ryan was not, for some reason best known to themselves."
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| Image credit: ABC. |
