Father Raymond Whitehouse

Complaint by a former altar boy

The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne accepted a complaint from a former altar boy, identified as “Stephen”, concerning Father Raymond William Whitehouse, who served at St Peter’s Parish in Bentleigh East, Melbourne, during the mid-1970s.

Stephen alleged that Whitehouse sexually assaulted him when he was 11 years old in 1974. According to the complaint, the assaults occurred on several Sundays after late-morning Mass in the sacristy, a room near the altar used for storing vestments and sacred vessels.

Stephen said Whitehouse intimidated him into remaining silent about the alleged abuse. His parents were devout Catholics who, he recalled, were unwilling to believe negative allegations about a priest, dismissing such claims as lies. As a result, Stephen did not disclose what had happened to him at the time.

He later described becoming a troubled and angry teenager. The experience, together with the silence surrounding the alleged abuse, affected his relationship with his parents, left him feeling like the “black sheep” of the family, and contributed to a lasting distrust of authority. He also reported behavioural and relationship difficulties that continued into adulthood.

Clerical career

Raymond William Whitehouse was born around 1945 and ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Melbourne on 19 May 1973.

His reported appointments included:

• East Bentleigh: Assistant priest during the mid-1970s.

• Essendon: Assistant priest during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

• Dandenong, Bennettswood and Deepdene: Parish appointments during the 1980s.

• Lilydale: Parish priest from January 1989 until his early retirement in February 1998.

Whitehouse reportedly retired at the age of 53.

Connections with other priests

Whitehouse was reportedly friends with three other Victorian priests: Father Graham Redfern, Father Raymond Deal and Father John Leslie Treacy. Each was also the subject of a complaint involving a young male.

These reported associations provide historical context but do not, in themselves, establish wrongdoing by any individual.

Historical record and safeguarding

The complaint concerning Stephen illustrates the difficulties faced by children who experienced alleged sexual abuse within religious institutions, particularly when loyalty to the Church and deference to clergy discouraged disclosure.

For historical accuracy, the distinction between an allegation, an accepted complaint and a criminal finding is important. The available account states that the Archdiocese of Melbourne accepted Stephen’s complaint; it does not, by itself, establish whether Whitehouse was criminally charged or convicted.

Recording such accounts carefully, with reliable sources and clear descriptions of the status of each complaint, supports transparency, institutional accountability and the recognition of survivors’ experiences.