Victim's Warnings about Clergyman Who Assaulted Him Ignored Because Offender Had Common Name, Inquiry Told.

By Matthew Benns
The Telegraph
November 21, 2013

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/victims-warnings-about-clergyman-who-assaulted-him-ignored-because-offender-had-common-name-inquiry-told/story-fni0cx4q-1226765254428

Richard 'Tommy' Campion pictured in Sydney after giving evidence at the Royal Commission. Source: News Corp Australia

WARNINGS about an allegedly abusive priest called Brown were ignored because the name was too common, the royal commission into child sex abuse heard yesterday.

Child sexual abuse victim Richard Campion wrote a letter to the Anglican Church in 2005 about the actions of Reverend Brown at the former North Coast Children's Home in Lismore.

But Philip Gerber, former professional standards director for the Dioceses of Sydney, Grafton and Newcastle, did not pass on the information to police for more than a year.

"It's not an uncommon name,'' Mr Gerber said, explaining why he did not try and find out who the priest was and did not follow protocols about informing the police.

Counsel assisting the royal commission, Simeon Beckett said: "It wouldn't have been much of a stretch to have done some research to ascertain what his name was and whether he had been licensed to officiate in the diocese?"

"I am appalled at my actions. I am very unhappy with myself," Mr Gerber said.

Despite the 2005 warnings, the priest, Campbell Brown, was not stripped of his licence to officiate for the church until June this year.

Mr Gerber said he was aware of a number of people "who had some sort of history of abuse that were collecting around Newcastle Cathedral."

But he did not raise his concerns because he "didn't have anything concrete".