Salesian principal faces abuse claim

Tag: australia

A Salesian priest and educator has stood down as principal of a major school after a report against him was lodged with the Church's Committee for Professional Standards, which runs the church's Towards Healing process for abuse victims. The Age reports that Fr Michael Aulsebrook has left his position at the Salesians' St Mark's College in Port Pirie, South Australia, where he has been principal since September, 1995.

The move was sparked by a so far unspecified incident allegedly involving Fr Aulsebrook that was reported to the Catholic Church's Committee for Professional Standards, which runs the church's Towards Healing process for abuse victims.

The allegation was made on 1 July and was reported by Towards Healing to Salesian Provincial, Fr Ian Murdoch, at the Salesian headquarters in Melbourne that day. No report had been lodged by the complainant, but Fr Aulsebrook agreed with Fr Murdoch that he should stand down.

It is not known where or when the alleged incident took place but Sr Angela Ryan, national executive of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's professional standards committee, which runs Towards Healing, said the investigative process has not started because the complainant has not made up his mind whether he wanted Towards Healing or the police to investigate. Sr Ryan said she had made clear to the complainant that he should go to police.

Fr Aulsebrook, in his mid-40s, worked as a priest and teacher at the Salesian's Rupertswood College, Sunbury, outside Melbourne, where allegations of sexual abuse by former students have led to criminal charges against a number of priests, including Frank Klep, who has been charged in relation to further abuse allegations at Rupertswood.

Fr Aulsebrook was boarding master in the early 1990s at Rupertswood. For a time, he took care of boarders in years 7, 8 and 9 and year 10 agricultural students. He became vice-principal at Rupertswood, according to sources, after Salesian priest David Rapson was sentenced in November 1992 to two years' jail for assaulting a 15-year-old student at the college.

The Salesians face criticism for allegedly protecting abuser priests and moving them around to evade law enforcement and victims. The Australian Province is under fire for sending Fr Klep to Samoa in 1998.

http://www.cathnews.com/news/407/82.php