A former Australian police officer has testified that his attempts to investigate sexual abuse allegations against a Catholic priest were blocked by police officials. Testifying before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Denis Ryan told the Commission how he had attempted to investigate Monsignor John Day in the 1970’s but was thwarted by what he called a “Catholic Mafia” within the police force.
“The common law of the police force was not to charge a priest, short of murder,” Mr Ryan, 83, said.
By 1971, Ryan had learned of numerous sexual abuse allegations concerning the Catholic priest.
“It was like stepping stones. It wasn’t difficult,” he told the inquiry.
Yet, Ryan was pressured to stop his investigation by higher police authorities, one of whom was Monsignor Day’s best friend. Ryan wrote the local bishop and was then threatened by another priest for his involvement in the criminal investigation.
This testimony is perhaps the most detailed witness testimony ever given of corruption and collusion between the Catholic Church and a local police department. It demonstrates how such criminal behavior was able to thrive for so many decades without any attempts to stop it.