Catholic friar allegedly molested Brisbane schoolgirl

A CATHOLIC friar allegedly forced a Brisbane schoolgirl to perform sex acts with him, telling her she had to because she was “a good girl who wants to go to heaven with your mummy and daddy”.

AN ageing Catholic friar named at the child abuse royal commission has been charged with more than a dozen child-sex offences for allegedly ­molesting an eight-year-old girl at a Brisbane bayside primary school.

Fr Anthony Francis “Damian” Colbourne, a member of historic Catholic Church order the Capuchin Friars who wear brown monk-like robes, allegedly threatened the Year 4 student that she and her parents would go to hell unless she performed sex acts with him.

The 74-year-old yesterday faced Wynnum Magistrates Court — across the road from the Guardian Angels Primary School where he allegedly ­molested the girl multiple times in the mid-1970s — on 13 child-sex charges.

He was represented by a Catholic Church-funded lawyer. The court heard he was still being supported by the church and living in a Capuchin friary in Melbourne.

The 13 charges included indecent treatment of a child under 14 and indecent assault.

In a police statement, the alleged victim said Colbourne told her she had to fondle him because she was “a good girl who wants to go to heaven with your mummy and daddy”.

He allegedly also forced her to perform oral sex on him and touched her vagina.

The woman told police that her belief at the time was that priests were the closest beings to God and “you must do as they say”.

Despite defence objections, police successfully applied for bail conditions, including that Colbourne continue to reside at the Capuchin friary and have no contact with minors. He was ordered to reappear in court on August 8.

Outside court, the arresting officer, Detective Sergeant Michael Froggatt, appealed for any other alleged victims to come forward.

“These might be 40-year-old offences but these charges demonstrate that police will be tenacious in our pursuit of alleged child sex offenders and bring them to justice,’’ he said.

“The royal commission has brought to light the ongoing pain and suffering of victims of institutional sex abuse and we have a duty to try to help bring them some form of closure.’’

The commission has so far referred 1050 people, including clergy, to police. More than 50 of those referred have so far been charged.