Pedophile priest Bill Baker dies while facing more charges

By a Broken Rites researcher (article updated 27 February 2014)

Father Wilfred James Baker, a retired priest from the Melbourne Catholic archdiocese, who was jailed in 1999 for  crimes against boys, was scheduled to face the Melbourne County Court in 2014 (case number CR-13-01856) on additional charges regarding more boys. However, Baker died on 14 February 2014, meaning that this court case will be cancelled.

News of the death was kept secret for 12 days. Finally, a death notice appeared on the Melbourne Herald Sun website on February 27:

BAKER. Wilfred. Died peacefully at Ashwood Feb. 15, 2014, aged 77. A Private Funeral Service was held on Feb. 20, 2014.

[Police say that, in fact, the death occurred on February 14.]

Broken Rites would like to see answers to these questions:

1. Where was the funeral service conducted?
2. And conducted by whom?

Background

The new criminal charges relate to the years between 1966 and 1979. These alleged offences took place in Melbourne and also during visits to Apollo Bay on Victoria's southwest coast and Maryborough in western Victoria.

The police investigation was conducted by detectives in Task Force Sano in the Sex Crime Squad, Flinders Street, Melbourne.

Bill Baker was born in Victoria on 1 July 1936.  He was ordained a priest in 1961 for the Melbourne archdiocese. His earliest parish appointments (in the 1960s) included Jordanville, East Brighton, Mordialloc and  Balaclava. His next appointments (in the 1970s) were hospital chaplaincy, followed by parishes at Doveton and Gladstone Park. His final parishes were Eltham (1978-92) and North Richmond (until 1999).

Broken Rites has researched Father Wilfred Baker's life of crime. To see the Broken Rites history of Father Billy Baker, click HERE.