Father Wilfred Baker

Early Life and Ministry

Wilfred James "Billy" Baker was born on 1 July 1936. As a student, he boarded at Assumption College, Kilmore, where he was known by the nickname "Turd" Baker.

He later studied for the priesthood at Corpus Christi College, Melbourne, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1961.

Throughout his ministry, Baker served in a number of Melbourne parishes, including:

• Jordanville (1962–1966)

• East Brighton (1966–1968)

• Mordialloc (1968–1969)

• Balaclava (1969–1971)

• Hospital Chaplaincy (1971–1974)

• Doveton (1974–1975)

• Gladstone Park (1975–1978)

• Eltham (1978–1992)

• North Richmond (1992–1997)

Nearly all of these appointments, with the exception of North Richmond, later became the subject of criminal charges.

Abuse of Children

Baker admitted to committing numerous child sexual abuse offences over almost two decades.

His offending began in 1960, while he was still training for the priesthood. One of his earliest known victims was abused at a migrant camp when Baker was 24 years old.

Between 1960 and 1979, Baker sexually abused at least eight boys aged between 10 and 13 years, pleading guilty to 16 counts of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency.

Most of his victims were altar boys or students from the parishes where he served. Baker commonly invited boys on weekend trips, often taking them to his parents' home in Maryborough, where they were required to share a bedroom with him. In at least one case he supplied alcohol to a child before sexually abusing him.

Former parishioners recalled Baker frequently spending time around young boys at parish schools. He also regularly visited St Kevin's College in Toorak and his former school, Assumption College, Kilmore.

Early Concerns

Evidence later presented in court indicated that fellow priests and Church superiors were aware that Baker posed a risk to children during the early years of his ministry. Some observers have suggested that his transfer to hospital chaplaincy between 1971 and 1974 may have reflected concerns about his conduct.

Despite these concerns, Baker returned to parish ministry where he continued to have unrestricted access to children.

Gladstone Park Complaints

While serving at the Church of the Good Shepherd parish in Gladstone Park during 1976 and 1977, Baker befriended a local family with a teenage son.

The parents trusted Baker and allowed him regular access to their son, including visits to the family home under the pretext of helping with schoolwork. Baker also took the boy away on trips and later admitted to showering with him.

In 1978, the boy's father formally complained about Baker's behaviour to the chairman of the parish school board, Brian Cosgriff, who was also a magistrate. Cosgriff consulted barrister Brendan Murphy. Rather than notifying police, both men reported the matter to Melbourne Archbishop Frank Little.

According to evidence later heard in court, the complaint was never referred to police.

Archbishop Little's secretary, Monsignor Peter Connors (later Bishop of Ballarat), met with the family and the matter remained confidential.

Instead of removing Baker from ministry, the Archdiocese transferred him to Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Eltham.

Parishioners at Gladstone Park were not informed why Baker was leaving, and parishioners at Eltham were not warned about the allegations against him.

Continued Ministry

As the sole priest at Eltham, Baker continued to work unsupervised and maintained extensive contact with families and children.

Later, at St James Parish, North Richmond, he again served as the only priest. During the early 1990s, further complaints were made by parents who refused to allow their sons to serve as altar boys under Baker.

Bishop Peter Connors prepared a report for the archdiocese concerning Baker. Despite the concerns raised, Baker remained in active parish ministry.

Victims Come Forward

On 25 November 1993, during increasing national attention on child sexual abuse within churches, one of Baker's victims wrote to the Melbourne Archdiocese describing how Baker had sexually assaulted him at Jordanville Parish in 1962.

The victim criticized the Church for allowing Baker to remain in ministry despite the risk he posed to children. He also commented:  "Despite the church's preoccupation with sexual morality, which continues today and has tended to create a guilt industry among my generation, it was apparently lax in applying the same strict codes to its ministers."

The letter reportedly received no response, and Baker continued as parish priest at North Richmond.

Another victim later contacted Victoria Police's Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Unit (SOCA). As police investigated that complaint, additional victims were identified and investigators uncovered evidence of the 1978 Gladstone Park complaint and the Church's handling of it.

Administrative Leave and Criminal Proceedings

In 1997, following police investigations, the Melbourne Archdiocese placed Baker on "administrative leave."

On 15 June 1997, the Sunday Herald Sun published details of the allegations against Baker, including the Church's handling of the Gladstone Park complaint.

During sentencing in the Melbourne County Court in June 1999, Judge Russell Lewis stated that Archbishop Frank Little had been informed of complaints against Baker in 1978, yet Baker had simply been transferred to another parish where he continued offending.

Judge Lewis also observed that Baker's transfer reflected a broader practice of moving offending clergy between parishes rather than removing them from ministry.

Baker was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years.

Despite the conviction, the Archdiocese was still paying Baker a living allowance in 1999.

Many victims never reported their abuse to police. One additional victim, who had entered religious life himself, declined to give evidence despite ongoing psychiatric treatment.

Later Charges

In 2013, Baker appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on further child sexual abuse charges involving additional alleged victims. Following a committal hearing, he was committed to stand trial in the Victorian County Court.

The case was believed to involve approximately eight male victims, including four brothers from one family.

Before the trial could proceed, Baker died on 14 February 2014, aged 77.

His death was not publicly announced for almost two weeks, during which time a private funeral was held.

Following his death, additional allegations emerged, including claims that Baker had sexually abused three brothers in Queensland after first meeting the family during his time at Jordanville Parish in the 1960s.

Legacy

Some of Baker's offences occurred while he served in Doveton, a parish that over several decades was associated with multiple priests later convicted or accused of child sexual abuse.

The Baker case has frequently been cited as an example of institutional failures within the Catholic Church, particularly the practice of responding to complaints by transferring offending clergy rather than reporting allegations to police, allowing further abuse to occur.