The Compliance Kid

Here it is—Albion Lane’s new short doco on Liam Kiernan, The Compliance Kid. He “followed the rules by breaking them,” because when the rulebook protects predators, the only moral move is to tear it up. Liam is a Remembered Australian (formerly “Forgotten”). As a child he was abused by the late Father Joseph (Joe) Doyle—facts established in legal proceedings. And still, the Catholic Church does its circus of semantics: priests aren’t employees, collars are apparently independent contractors, and responsibility is a moving target. If the collar fits, you don’t get to pretend it’s casual Friday.

Here’s why Liam matters beyond headlines. In July this year, he was one of five speakers at our TAFE talk—a room full of students, staff, and hard truths. After the session, a young woman—a student—walked up to Liam because she felt safe. She told him about ongoing abuse. Liam listened, believed, acted. With support and the right services, she’s now safe. That’s not theory or PR; that’s what accountability looks like when people, not institutions, lead. The Church says “we care.” The archive says otherwise. Survivors say otherwise. Liam does otherwise.