Michael Charles Glennon
Encyclopedia
Michael Charles Glennon is a convicted Australia
n child molester and former Roman Catholic priest, one of the most notorious clergy sex abuse
cases in that country. Glennon ran a youth camp in Lancefield
, Victoria
, where most of the abuse took place. , Glennon has been convicted of sexually abusing 15 children in court cases spanning 25 years, and is currently serving a 33½ year prison term with a non-parole period of 26½ years. A victim testified in 1986 that Glennon said he had "lost count" of the children he had assaulted
.
, a working class
suburb of Melbourne
. He had nine brothers and sisters. In 1971 he was admitted to the priesthood and began work as an assistant pastor at St. Monica's in Moonee Ponds
, where he and his Labrador retriever
were popular with "hundreds" of children. He soon launched his youth camp, Karaglen, on 16 ha
on bushland
outside of Lancefield. Over the years it would grow from tents to a few huts and a hall with a private bedroom for Glennon. Billed as the Peaceful Hand Youth Foundation, it centered around a mix of karate
and high-church Christian liturgy
; Glennon claimed to have a black belt
.
Glennon transferred in 1977 to St Gabriel's in Reservoir
, but left after just a year. In 1979, the church withdrew his right to preach, but had no control over his activities at the camp. In 1984, he was officially defrocked by the church. The church claims that defamation law prevented them from acting to expose him. Afterward, Glennon continued to preach, ministering to a congregation from his home in Thornbury
. The families included poor whites and Aborigines
.
Glennon's charisma and religious devotion endeared him to many parents, who allowed their children to go with Glennon on overnight trips or even sleep in his bed, many years after his first charges. Children invited to these assignations suspected nothing, and many long kept their silence.
a 10-year-old girl. He was sentenced to two years in prison, and served seven months before being paroled; he continued to run the camp, where he was often the only adult present.
In 1984 he was acquitted
of raping
two boys, aged 11 and 13.
In 1985 Glennon was charged with raping
five boys and one girl, aged 12 to 16, all of them visitors to his camp during 1978-80. The trial was delayed by several years due to the publication of Glennon's prior conviction by Derryn Hinch. He was prosecuted by Crown Prosecutor Meryl Sexton
, later appointed a Judge of the County Court of Victoria
. In 1991, Glennon was found guilty of five charges including indecent assault, attempted buggery
of a boy under 14 years, and buggery with violence. He appeal
ed his own conviction to the High Court, which found that despite the publicity, the trial was not unfair. The ruling overturned an acquittal by the Court of Criminal Appeal
, and Glennon was sent to prison for seven years with a five-year minimum.
In 1999, Glennon was convicted on 24 further charges. These convictions were only made public after his final conviction in October 2003, where Glennon was found guilty of another 23 offences against children, including rape, indecent assault, gross indecency, sexually penetrating a child under the age of 16 and sexually penetrating a child under the age of 10. These assaults took place between 1986 and 1991, while he was free during the litigation of his case and that of Derryn Hinch. He was sentenced to an effective total of 22 years in jail with a minimum of 15 years; he was described as "evil and callous" by the sentencing judge, to applause from the victims and their supporters.
Glennon will be eligible for parole in 2018, at the age of 74, and will be on the Sex Offender's Register for the rest of his life.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n child molester and former Roman Catholic priest, one of the most notorious clergy sex abuse
Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
The Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. These cases began receiving public attention beginning in the mid-1980s...
cases in that country. Glennon ran a youth camp in Lancefield
Lancefield, Victoria
Lancefield is a town in the Shire of Macedon Ranges Local government area in Victoria, Australia. The town is located north of the state capital, Melbourne and had a population of 1,184 at the 2006 census.-History:...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, where most of the abuse took place. , Glennon has been convicted of sexually abusing 15 children in court cases spanning 25 years, and is currently serving a 33½ year prison term with a non-parole period of 26½ years. A victim testified in 1986 that Glennon said he had "lost count" of the children he had assaulted
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
.
Early life
Glennon was born in PrestonPreston, Victoria
Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...
, a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. He had nine brothers and sisters. In 1971 he was admitted to the priesthood and began work as an assistant pastor at St. Monica's in Moonee Ponds
Moonee Ponds, Victoria
Moonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse...
, where he and his Labrador retriever
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
were popular with "hundreds" of children. He soon launched his youth camp, Karaglen, on 16 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
on bushland
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
outside of Lancefield. Over the years it would grow from tents to a few huts and a hall with a private bedroom for Glennon. Billed as the Peaceful Hand Youth Foundation, it centered around a mix of karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and high-church Christian liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
; Glennon claimed to have a black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
.
Glennon transferred in 1977 to St Gabriel's in Reservoir
Reservoir, Victoria
Reservoir is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Reservoir had a population of 45,970....
, but left after just a year. In 1979, the church withdrew his right to preach, but had no control over his activities at the camp. In 1984, he was officially defrocked by the church. The church claims that defamation law prevented them from acting to expose him. Afterward, Glennon continued to preach, ministering to a congregation from his home in Thornbury
Thornbury, Victoria
Thornbury originalSince the 1960s, the vast majority of Melburnians pronounce the name phonetically. The 'h' is no longer silent, and there is more stress placed upon the 'o'. pronunciation is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north from Melbourne's central business district....
. The families included poor whites and Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
.
Glennon's charisma and religious devotion endeared him to many parents, who allowed their children to go with Glennon on overnight trips or even sleep in his bed, many years after his first charges. Children invited to these assignations suspected nothing, and many long kept their silence.
Trials
In 1978 Glennon was convicted of indecently assaultingSexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
a 10-year-old girl. He was sentenced to two years in prison, and served seven months before being paroled; he continued to run the camp, where he was often the only adult present.
In 1984 he was acquitted
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
of raping
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
two boys, aged 11 and 13.
In 1985 Glennon was charged with raping
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
five boys and one girl, aged 12 to 16, all of them visitors to his camp during 1978-80. The trial was delayed by several years due to the publication of Glennon's prior conviction by Derryn Hinch. He was prosecuted by Crown Prosecutor Meryl Sexton
Meryl Sexton
Judge Meryl Sexton is a Judge of the County Court in Victoria, Australia, appointed in August 2001.-Early life:Sexton graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Economics. She completed her articles at law firm Cody Dwyer & Associates and was admitted to practice law...
, later appointed a Judge of the County Court of Victoria
County Court of Victoria
The County Court of Victoria was established in 1852 by the County Courts Act 1852. The court has jurisdiction in the State of Victoria, Australia...
. In 1991, Glennon was found guilty of five charges including indecent assault, attempted buggery
Buggery
The British English term buggery is very close in meaning to the term sodomy, and is often used interchangeably in law and popular speech. It may be, also, a specific common law offence, encompassing both sodomy and bestiality.-In law:...
of a boy under 14 years, and buggery with violence. He appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ed his own conviction to the High Court, which found that despite the publicity, the trial was not unfair. The ruling overturned an acquittal by the Court of Criminal Appeal
Supreme Court of Victoria
The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state...
, and Glennon was sent to prison for seven years with a five-year minimum.
In 1999, Glennon was convicted on 24 further charges. These convictions were only made public after his final conviction in October 2003, where Glennon was found guilty of another 23 offences against children, including rape, indecent assault, gross indecency, sexually penetrating a child under the age of 16 and sexually penetrating a child under the age of 10. These assaults took place between 1986 and 1991, while he was free during the litigation of his case and that of Derryn Hinch. He was sentenced to an effective total of 22 years in jail with a minimum of 15 years; he was described as "evil and callous" by the sentencing judge, to applause from the victims and their supporters.
Glennon will be eligible for parole in 2018, at the age of 74, and will be on the Sex Offender's Register for the rest of his life.