Archbishop Phillip Aspinall Says He Urged Bishop to Be Kinder on Abuse

By Dan Box
The Australian
November 26, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/archbishop-phillip-aspinall-says-he-urged-bishop-to-be-kinder-on-abuse/story-fngburq5-1226768707586

Archbishop Phillip Aspinall wrote a series of letters to former Grafton Bishop Keith Slater urging to have more sympathy with victims of child sex abuse.

THE head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, spent years privately trying to convince one of his bishops to change the way he dealt with victims of child sex abuse, before finally suggesting he resign earlier this year.

Under Bishop Keith Slater, the Diocese of Grafton in northern NSW spent years denying it was liable for child abuse allegedly committed over several decades at a local children's home, the Royal Commission has heard.

One of about 40 such victims, who ultimately received settlements of up to $10,000 after legal costs, has told the commission the experience of dealing with the church "was like being raped all over again."

Giving evidence this morning, Bishop Slater said he was now "personally totally humiliated in myself" over how he handled the matter.

The commission has heard he was concerned with "achieving the best outcome for the church" during the negotiations, and was concentrating on dealing with a multi-million dollar debt the diocese had run up at the time.

In a series of letters written between 2006 and 2012 and tendered to the commission, Archbishop Aspinall encourages the bishop to be more sympathetic towards the alleged victims.

One letter, from last year, said: "You will understand how heavily (one alleged victim) Mr Tommy Campion's pleas weigh on me."

The two senior clerics had discussed the alleged abuse repeatedly in recent months, the letter said, but "still little has happened."

"Keith, I am not satisfied that everything possible has been done ... The situation must not be allowed to continue," the letter reads.

"A victim deserves the best we can do by them. And your leadership, I believe, is better than that."

Earlier this year, after the establishment of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the two men met again, with the archbishop suggesting the bishop resign.

Bishop Slater announced his resignation in May this year "as a sign of my recognition of these matters and in the hope that it may contribute towards healing and wholeness for those who are abused."

Speaking outside the commission hearing, Mr Campion said he remained unimpressed by the bishop's apology, which "should have been done years ago."

"What sort of emotion did he have in his voice? He just rattled it off like it was written for him," Mr Campion said.

Archbishop Aspinall is expected to give evidence later in the hearing.