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  Maitland-newcastle Diocese a "Centre" for Abuse

By Matt Carr
The Herald
May 18, 2010

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/maitlandnewcastle-diocese-a-centre-for-abuse/1832276.aspx

THE Maitland-Newcastle diocese was labelled as "perhaps the epicentre of Catholic clerical sexual abuse in Australia" during a series of reports on ABC television last night.

The ABC reports, which followed The Herald's coverage detailing the failure of Church authorities to report priest sexual abuse allegations to police, took particular aim at former Maitland priest and now Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson.

The ABC reports alleged Archbishop Wilson knew of abuse perpetrated by priests James Fletcher and John Denham at Maitland and Adamstown in the 1970s and failed to tell police.

Archbishop Wilson told the ABC he had no knowledge of the abuse.

On May 4 The Herald revealed documents showing Bishop Michael Malone, his predecessor Leo Clarke and then priest Philip Wilson had roles in the attempted secret defrocking of pedophile Denis McAlinden.

Archbishop Wilson has been named as a possible successor to the Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell should he take a senior post at the Vatican.

 
 

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