Priest says Jill Meagher would have been ‘home in bed’ if more religious

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There is outrage in both Australia and Ireland this afternoon after it emerged that a Catholic priest made inappropriate comments regarding the death of Jill Meagher.

The priest in question was delivering a homily to an audience of schoolchildren at an end of term service in Melbourne when he said that had Jill Meagher’s faith been stronger, she would have been ‘home in bed’.

Jill was raped and murdered by Adrian Bayley in September 2012 after a night out with work friends. Bayley is now serving a life sentence for the murder of Jill as well as the rape of three other women.

The priest’s commented also on how Jill would not have been ‘walking down Sydney Road at 3am’ had she been more ‘faith filled’.

Needless to say his comments have completely outraged many in Ireland and Australia, leading the church in question to issue an apology:

“The church or the diocese certainly does not condone the comments made and the homily was totally inappropriate. The reference to Jill Meagher in particular was offensive and inappropriate and the people of Victoria and Ireland mourn her sad and tragic death.”

Jill’s husband, Tom has done immense work for sexual violence against women with the organisation White Ribbon since the tragic passing of his wife three years ago. 

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