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Archbishop Phillip Aspinall Dismissed "80s Abuse Complaint: Royal Commission

ABC
January 27, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2015/s4395298.htm?site=hobart

TIM PALMER: The child sex abuse royal commission has heard that three decades ago, the current Archbishop of Brisbane, Phillip Aspinall, brushed off a complaint that a priest had abused a boy.

A witness gave evidence to the commission that Phillip Aspinall had some time before the complaint suggested the teenager sleep in the priest's bed.

The inquiry is in Hobart examining how the Church of England Boys Society and the Anglican dioceses of Tasmania, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane handled abuse allegations against five paedophiles connected with the church.

And a warning: Samantha Donovan's report contains graphic material.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The royal commission has heard that paedophile Anglican priests Garth Hawkins and Louis Daniels raped or sexually abused several boys in Tasmania in the 1980s.

The commission was told that Phillip Aspinall, now the Archbishop of Brisbane, was a leader in the Tasmanian Church of England Boys Society at the time and involved in its camps.

Survivor witness BYF gave evidence that in about 1981, he attended a youth synod committee meeting with Phillip Aspinall.

BYF: Aspinall arranged for us to spend the night at the rectory with then reverent Garth Hawkins. I was around 17 and Aspinall was about 22. I had not previously met Hawkins.

When it was time to go to bed, Aspinall and I got into our sleeping bags on the floor of the rectory study.

Hawkins came in and sat next to me. He ran his fingers through my hair and gave me lots of compliments, telling me I was good looking.

Hawkins then said he had a big bed with lots of room and invited me in. I felt he was making sexual advances, so I refused the offer of his bed and stayed in the study. Hawkins eventually left the room.

I recall that while Hawkins what I considered to be sexual advances towards me, Aspinall was part of our conversation, and was talking to both me and Hawkins.

I can't recall exactly what Aspinall said, but I recall that in the conversation, Aspinall was acting normally and did not appear to acknowledge Hawkins' sexual advances towards me.

I was very unhappy with what had occurred, so I discussed it with Aspinall the next day. I said I believed Hawkins wanted me for sexual favours and Aspinall told me not to be stupid.

He also said he is as gay as you or I. The conversation ended at that point.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: BYF told the commission the following year he visited the Triabunna rectory where Garth Hawkins lived.

He said Phillip Aspinall was staying there with some other young men and had invited BYF to join them.

BYF: The rectory had a master bedroom and at least one other smaller bedroom.

After we were all in our sleeping bags, Hawkins entered the lounge room and said he had a big bed and someone could share it with him.

Aspinall volunteered me to sleep in Hawkins' bed. I said I would not go. Aspinall made a big thing of it and told me to go, and not be so stupid.

In front of all those people, I didn't want to look daft, so I begrudgingly went into Hawkins' bedroom. I couldn't believe that after I had told Aspinall of my concerns he would deliberately send me to Hawkins' bed.

When I was in Hawkins's bedroom, he sexually abused me. He grabbed my head and inserted his penis in my mouth.

He pushed my head backwards and forwards on his penis and I was gagging so much I thought I would vomit.

He also scratched my back with his fingernails and I had scratches all over my back. I was silent due to redacted being in the adjoining room, and all the others nearby.

Hawkins was large and solid and I was a skinny youth. As Hawkins was much bigger than me, I became resigned to my fate.

He held my legs down behind my ears as I lay on my back and sodomised me.

It felt as though my legs would break off, and the pain was excruciating.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: BYF gave evidence that in 1982, he told Phillip Aspinall what Hawkins had done to him.

BYF: I said to Aspinall, remember what I said about Hawkins when he first said something to me? Well he did something.

Aspinall said what I was saying wasn't true. I told him it was. He was dismissive and ignored what I said. He showed no concern or compassion and did not want to know what had happened.

We did not talk about it again, and I did not see much of Aspinall after that. I felt too embarrassed to raise the issue with him again.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The royal commission has heard that Archbishop Phillip Aspinall disagrees with BYF's recollections and will give evidence.

Garth Hawkins was eventually convicted of sexual offences against seven boys, including BYF, and served a five-and-a-half year jail sentence.

He has been called to give evidence to the royal commission.

The hearings continue in Hobart tomorrow.

TIM PALMER: Samantha Donovan reporting there.

 

 

 

 

 




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