Abbott vouched for a peadophile priest - 1997

As the royal commission into church child abuse is well and truly under way in Australia, and Abbott's mate Pell is being demanded by all and sundry to return from the Vatican and face charges against him concerning child abuse here in Australia, Abbott's past concerns with the Catholic church are coming under increasing scrutiny now. In particular, this one.

May I introduce ex Father John Nester. Below is when he was an actual Father in the church. He went to the same seminary as Abbott in the 1980's, St Patrick's in Sydney.

Long story short, Father Nester was convicted of being a peadophile, then appealed in 1997 with Abbott being one who gave a character reference for him. He won the appeal, only to be defrocked by the church in 2001 by the Vatican, those involved citing "significant additional material". He was forcefully laicised by the Vatican. In other words the church considered him a peadophile.

Abbott however didn't. At least not in 1997, despite having gone through seminary with him. The language used by Abbott was entirely contradictory to the person John Nestor actually was. Abbott described Nestor in 1997 thus:

Mr Abbott, then a federal parliament backbencher, told the court Fr Nestor was an upright and virtuous man who he had known since 1984. 

"He was ... a beacon of humanity at seminary," Mr Abbott said. more

In short, Abbott knew Nestor since 1984, yet somehow apparently had not the faintest idea of his predilections.  

I will leave readers to make their own judgement. I have made mine. He is either a liar, defending a paedophile priest as the church was want to do back then, or......... 

References: here, here, and here.