Man sues church amid fears Gippsland priest had more victims

There are fears a Gippsland primary school priest who threatened a boy would go to hell if he spoke of alleged abuse could have more victims.

Monsignor Joseph Daly is accused of child sex abuse crimes while working at St Joseph's Primary School in Warragul in the early 1970s.

A man who was sexually abused as a child by a senior Catholic Church member in Gippsland is seeking justice after decades of trauma.

The victim, now aged 57, said he was molested by alleged paedophile Monsignor Joseph Daly at St Joseph’s Primary School in Warragul in the early 1970s.

He remembered being led from class by nuns and summoned into the church sacristy where the abuse occurred.

“He towered above me, fully robed of the cloth and spoke with absolute authority that what was about to happen was “strictly God’s business”, if I ever spoke of it I would be delivered straight to hell,” the man said.

“He placed his hands inside my underwear and fondled my genitals. I thought that this was a routine medical check to see if I was circumcised.”

The man said the attacks worsened over time and Monsignor Daly – now deceased – would continue to reinforce that what happened needed to stay between them.

Confused and filled with shame, the man stayed silent for decades, turning to self-harm, drugs and alcohol to cope.

Law firm Arnold Thomas & Becker is currently seeking reparations from the Catholic Church for the abuse.

Abuse specialist lawyer Kelly Schober said other children were likely preyed upon by Monsignor Daly and should come forward for support.

“We want to put a stop to anyone else who may have been suffering in silence to let them know they are not alone. We are seeking justice and closure from these heinous crimes,” she said.

The firm expects a significant payout by late this year or to go to trial in 2023.

Originally published as Man sues church amid fears Gippsland priest had more victims