Revelation (TV series)

Revelation is a 2020 Australian documentary series directed by Nial Fulton and Sarah Ferguson. The series follows the criminal trials of three Catholic priests accused of child sexual abuse.[1]

Revelation
GenreDocumentary
Created byNial Fulton
Sarah Ferguson
Written byTony Jones
Directed byNial Fulton
Sarah Ferguson
Presented bySarah Ferguson
ComposerHelena Czajka
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producersNial Fulton
Ivan O'Mahoney
ProducerNial Fulton
Production locationsAustralia, Ireland, United States, New Zealand, Italy
Cinematography
  • Aaron Smith
  • Richard Kendrick
  • Martin McGrath
Editors
  • Lile Judickas
  • Philippa Rowlands
Production companyIn Films
Release
Original networkAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
Original release17 March (2020-03-17) –
2 April 2020 (2020-04-02)

The series was produced by In Films for ABC Television and premiered on 17 March 2020, where it received critical acclaim and won the Walkley Documentary Award and Best Documentary Series Award at the Asian Academy Creative Awards.[2][3]

The series screened on Netflix in March 2023 and spent two weeks in the Top Ten Most Watched TV Shows across Australia and New Zealand.[4]

Synopsis

The series examines the forces behind the child sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Australia and follows the criminal trials of Father Vincent Ryan and Brother Bernard McGrath. The third episode looks at the systemic cover-up of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ballarat and features allegations of child sexual abuse against Cardinal George Pell.[5]

Production

The series was shot on location in the Vatican, Ireland, New Zealand and multiple locations around Australia, including the Catholic dioceses of Ballarat and Maitland-Newcastle.[6]

Following lengthy negotiations, the producers were granted permission to bring cameras into the New South Wales District Court to film the 2019 criminal trials of Father Vincent Ryan and Brother Bernard McGrath. Ryan's trial was filmed over six weeks and McGrath's over seven months. It was the first time anywhere in the world that filming of a clerical child abuse trial had been permitted.

NSW Corrective Services granted permission to Fulton and Ferguson to interview Bernard McGrath, a member of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God religious order. McGrath has been convicted on multiple sex offences against young boys under his care in Kendall Grange, New South Wales. His interview took place inside the maximum security prison where he is currently serving a 39-year sentence.

Release
Crown Prosecutor David Patch, New South Wales District Court, 2019
Bernard McGrath interviewed by Sarah Ferguson inside a maximum security prison, New South Wales, 2019

The series premiered on ABC Television on 17 March 2020. Episode 1 achieved a combined (broadcast and online) audience of 885K and an iView audience of 979,000.

Episode 2 was postponed due to live coverage of the Prime Minister's televised address to the nation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and went to air on 31 March. It achieved a combined audience of 904,000.[7]

Episode 3 screened on 2 April and achieved a combined audience of 714,000.[8]

The series streamed on Netflix from 22 March 2023 and spent two weeks in the Top Ten most watched TV shows across Australia and New Zealand.

Key people

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateLength (minutes)
1"The Children Have Been Used by the Devil"Nial Fulton
Sarah Ferguson		Sarah Ferguson
Tony Jones		17 March 2020 (2020-03-17)87
2"A Dangerous Place To Be A Child"Nial Fulton
Sarah Ferguson		Tony Jones29 March 2020 (2020-03-29)90
3"Goliath"Nial Fulton
Sarah Ferguson		Tony Jones2 April 2020 (2020-04-02)102

Reception

The series met with positive reviews. Holly Byrnes of The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) wrote 'Walkley award-winning journalist Sarah Ferguson has delivered some of the best TV journalism this country has ever witnessed, but Revelation might just be the pinnacle.'[9]

Bridget McManus from The Age (Melbourne) gave it a four stars, calling it a '...searing documentary series.'[10][11]

Brigid Delaney, a senior writer for Guardian Australia, wrote 'You'll need a strong stomach to digest Revelation's insights into child sexual abuse in the Catholic church.'[12]

In The Australian, Graeme Blundell wrote that '...although it is often difficult to watch, Ferguson and her exemplary production team, including executive producer Nial Fulton, principal cinematographer Aaron Smith and researchers Sophie Randerson, Kate Wild, and Alison McClymont, have been able to shed light not only on their heinous atrocities but how the Catholic Church repeatedly chose secrecy over transparency and accountability. It is a confronting, awful study of a church that not only fell to decay but seems beyond renewal, achingly absent of integrity and grace.'

Blundell also praises Sarah Ferguson for her restraint, saying that '...the interviews she conducts, initially with Ryan and later with Bernard McGrath, a former St John of God brother, teacher and headmaster in residential schools in Australia and New Zealand, serving 39 years for crimes against children, are harrowing and disturbing as she provokes and exposes a web of conspiracy and perversion. She tries to display no explicit emotion as she questions Ryan but can only just conceal her ethical disgust behind that journalistic veneer of taut self-control.' [13]

The series won the Walkley Documentary Award on 20 November 2020. The judges' citation read - 'This haunting documentary broke new ground on an issue already well covered by the media and investigated by police and the Royal Commission alike. The extraordinary access to some of the Catholic Church's most notorious perpetrators of sexual abuse against children, as well as the insight it gave viewers into court proceedings, showed just how powerful journalistic documentary-making can be.' [14]

The series premiered on Netflix on 22 March 2023. New Zealand journalist Graeme Tuckett called the series '...a brilliant accomplishment.'[15]

Guillermo Troncoso described the series as '...an eye-opening, heartbreaking, infuriating experience and one that needs to be seen.'[16]

Controversy

On 7 April 2020, Cardinal George Pell was released from prison and had his convictions for child sexual abuse overturned. In response, the producers took the decision to include footage of Pell's release. No material from the original broadcast was removed or altered.[17]

In a statement, Cardinal Pell rejected the allegations made by Bernie and Peter Clarke in Revelation but following his acquittal, did not sue the producers or ABC television. Pell's release paved the way for the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to release their previously redacted findings into what Pell knew about child sexual abuse in Victoria.[18][19]

Andrew Bolt, a News Corp columnist and outspoken supporter of Pell, attacked the ABC and the filmmakers, saying the series was part of a "witch-hunt" against Pell. Following his acquittal, other vocal supporters of Pell, including Miranda Devine and Gerard Henderson, condemned those who had reported on the story.[20]

Numerous News Corp journalists claimed the ABC's reporting on the Pell case was one-sided and biased.[21]

Greg Craven, vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University and long-time friend of Pell, accused the ABC and police of "polluting" the legal atmosphere around the cardinal's Victorian trial.[22] The ABC rejected Craven's allegations they had intentionally brought forward Episode 3 of Revelation in an attempt to influence the High Court.[23]

The ABC responded to the News Corp claims, stating 'The ABC has always acted in the public interest in reporting on the police investigation into Cardinal George Pell and in investigating other allegations made against him. The ABC firmly rejects claims that it pursued a 'witch hunt' against Cardinal Pell, that it engaged in 'vigilante' journalism or that its coverage was one-sided or unfair.'[24]

Journalist Margaret Simmons also formed the view that the ABC's reporting on Pell did not "step over the line".[25]

Accolades
Awards and nominations
Award Date of Ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Screen Producers Australia Awards March 2021 Best Documentary Series Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton, Tony Jones Nominated [26]
Australian Directors Guild Awards December 2021 Best Direction in a Documentary Series Nial Fulton, Sarah Ferguson Nominated [27]
Walkley Awards 2020 Walkley Documentary Award Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton, Tony Jones Won [28]
2020 Television Camerawork (Episode 3) Aaron Smith Nominated [29]
Asian Academy Creative Awards December 2020 Best Documentary Series Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton, Tony Jones Won [30]
November 2020 Best Documentary Series (National Winner) Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton, Tony Jones Won [31]
Australian Cinematographers Society Awards November 2020 Gold Award (Episode 3) Aaron Smith Won
Australian Screen Editors November 2020 Best Editing in a Documentary (Episode 3) Philippa Rowlands Won
Florence Film Awards November 2020 Best Editing Philippa Rowlands Won
November 2020 Best Original Score Helena Czajka Won
Spotlight Documentary Film Awards January 2021 Gold Award Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton, Tony Jones Won
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards November 2020 Best Editing in a Documentary (Episode 3) Philippa Rowlands Nominated
November 2020 Best Cinematography in a Documentary (Episode 1) Aaron Smith, Andy Taylor, Martin McGrath Nominated
Banff World Media Festival June 2021 Social Issues and Current Affairs Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton, Tony Jones Nominated
Australian International Documentary Conference Awards March 2021 Best Documentary Series Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton, Tony Jones Nominated

Response from the Catholic Church

Father Vincent Ryan

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle responded to the imminent release of the series by issuing an open letter to their parishioners attempting to justify their abject failure to have convicted paedophile priest Father Vincent Ryan laicised. This was followed by a more detailed press release, including a timeline of Ryan's offending and Bishop Leo Clarke's failure to respond to Ryan's abuse,

It also claimed that the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith would recommend to Pope Francis that Ryan be laicised.[32]

Father Vincent Ryan died on 30 May 2022. Despite widespread knowledge of Ryan's prolific offending, the Catholic Church did not laicise him.[33]

Bishop Leo Clarke

During his interview for Revelation, Sarah Ferguson asked Bishop Wright why the church continued to celebrate the life of Bishop Leo Clarke, a man the church acknowledged had protected Vincent Ryan and concealed his sexual abuse of children. Following the broadcast, a plaque celebrating the life of Bishop Leo Clarke was removed from Maitland cathedral.

Father Bill Burston

Wright's report also dealt with the treatment of the Nash family and the remarks made by Father William Burston.[32] The report concluded that Andrew Nash "tragically committed suicide" after he was "abused by the criminal William Cable 'Br Romuald'".[32] An internal Catholic investigation was launched by Bishop Bill Wright regarding Father Burston's interview, where he told Sarah Ferguson he thought the suicide of 13-year-old Andrew Nash in 1974 was a "prank gone wrong."[34]

Wright confirmed the internal investigation had concluded "some time ago" and that Burston had voluntarily agreed to no longer celebrate Mass or other church rituals. Audrey Nash had not been notified about the outcome of the investigation.[35][36]

The Royal Commission Case Study 43 was released in October 2020 and found Burston knew there had been a complaint of "sexually inappropriate behaviour" against Ryan in 1976.[37]

The family of Andrew Nash told the Newcastle Herald they wanted Father Burston laicised for his callous remarks.[38]

Diocese of Ballarat

The Bishop of Ballarat, Paul Bird, issued a press release on 17 March 2020 warning parishioners they might find some of the material in Revelation confronting and painful.[39] Following the release of the series, Bird removed Father Bryant from his parish and forced him into early retirement.

Brothers of St John of God

On 7 April 2020, the Hospitaller Order of the Brothers of St John of God posted a statement about the series on their website.[40] The order did not deny the allegations that they had prior knowledge of Bernard McGrath's sexual offending against children under his care and moved him from Australia to New Zealand and later to the Jemez Springs treatment facility run by the Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete in New Mexico, United States.[41]

The New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry Into Abuse in Care examined the crimes of St John of God in Christchurch and used some material from Revelation during their public hearings. Judge Coral Shaw, Chair of the commission, publicly thanked Nial Fulton and Sarah Ferguson for their work.

Archdiocese of Sydney

On 2 April 2020, the Archdiocese of Sydney responded to the allegations raised against Cardinal George Pell in episode 3 of the series by issuing a short press release.[42]

See also

References
  1. "Revelation". ABC iview. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  2. "The Walkley Documentary Award". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  3. "AUSTRALIA AWASH WITH GOLD AFTER NIGHT 1 ASIAN ACADEMY CREATIVE AWARDS". Asian Academy Creative Awards. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  4. Tuckett, Graeme (4 April 2023). "Revelation: Now on Netflix, this Aussie docu-series is a brilliant accomplishment - and a difficult watch". Stuff. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  5. "Amazing Stories and news-making exposés: March TV and streaming". 1 March 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  6. Meade, Amanda (8 April 2020). "ABC to re-edit and restore George Pell episode of Revelation as News Corp goes on attack". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  7. "Schedule Update - REVELATION to air over two nights next week on ABC". 25 March 2020.
  8. Knox, David. ""Beyond the pale...." | TV Tonight".
  9. "REVELATION". www.revelationdocumentary.com.
  10. McManus, Bridget (28 March 2020). "TV for Tuesday, March 29". Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  11. McManus, Bridget (14 March 2020). "Critic's Choice for March 15". Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  12. Delaney, Brigid (16 March 2020). "You'll need a strong stomach to digest Revelation's insights into child sexual abuse in the Catholic church". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  13. "The Australian".
  14. "Sarah Ferguson, Nial Fulton and Tony Jones".
  15. Tuckett, Graeme (4 April 2023). "Revelation: Now on Netflix, this Aussie docu-series is a brilliant accomplishment - and a difficult watch". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  16. "Interview: Journalist Sarah Ferguson on Catholic Church Sex Abuse Documentary 'Revelation' - Now on Netflix". Screen Realm. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  17. Davey, Melissa (7 April 2020). "George Pell: Australian cardinal released from jail after high court quashes child sexual abuse convictions". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  18. Knaus, Christopher (11 January 2023). "George Pell: what the five-year royal commission into child sexual abuse found". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  19. Jones, Timothy W. "How George Pell failed child sex abuse victims: the full findings of the royal commission report". The Conversation. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  20. "Ep 11 - Pell – The final verdict". 20 April 2020 – via www.abc.net.au.
  21. "Andrew Bolt and the ABC: Did the reporting on George Pell step over a line? | Margaret Simons". TheGuardian.com. 14 April 2020.
  22. "Pell supporter takes aim at police, ABC after Cardinal acquitted". ABC Radio. 8 April 2020.
  23. "Correction to Greg Craven's column in The Australian". About the ABC.
  24. "ABC to re-edit and restore George Pell episode of Revelation as News Corp goes on attack". TheGuardian.com. 8 April 2020.
  25. "Andrew Bolt and the ABC: did the reporting on George Pell step over a line? | Margaret Simons". the Guardian. 14 April 2020.
  26. "Screen Producers Awards 2021: Documentary nominees | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  27. "Australian Directors' Guild - ADG AWARDS 2021". www.adg.org.au. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  28. "The Walkley Documentary Award". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  29. admin (20 November 2020). "ABC's "Killing Field" wins the 2020 Gold Walkley Award". The Walkley Foundation. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  30. "2020 Grand Final Winners". Asian Academy Creative Awards. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  31. "2020 NATIONAL WINNERS". Asian Academy Creative Awards. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  32. Maitland-Newcastle, Catholic Diocese of. "Detailed communication in support of Bishop Bill Wright's open letter to the People of the Diocese". www.mn.catholic.org.au. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  33. "'Unfinished business': Victims furious as notorious paedophile priest dies with holy orders". ABC News. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  34. "'Apology isn't enough' says family after priest's shock view of boy's death". Newcastle Herald. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  35. Kirkwood, Ian (24 October 2020). "Bishop Wright disciplines Catholic Father Bill Burston but Nash family say it's 'not enough'". Newcastle Herald.
  36. McCarthy, Joanne (24 March 2020). "'Apology isn't enough' says family after priest's shock view of boy's death". Newcastle Herald.
  37. Kelly, Matthew (20 October 2020). "'Most of our friends are dead': Case Study 43 reveals a network of lies and cover-ups inside the church". Newcastle Herald.
  38. "Bishop Wright disciplines Catholic Father Bill Burston but Nash family say it's 'not enough'". Newcastle Herald. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  39. "Catholic Diocese of Ballarat". www.ballarat.catholic.org.au. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  40. "Statement by the St John of God Brothers Regarding the ABC Documentary Revelation. The Hospitaller Order of St John of God Oceania Province". Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  41. "St John of God Letter" (PDF). abc.net.au. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  42. "Revelation Statement Cardinal Pell" (PDF). abc.net.au. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
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