Sexual abuse royal commission: Former Tasmanian bishop's sons made 'sore bottoms' joke about boys' society

By Emilie Gramenz
ABC News
February 1, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-01/hobart-sexual-abuse-royal-commission-lou-daniels-paedophile/7129250

A former Tasmanian Anglican bishop's sons would joke about members of a church boys' society having sore bottoms, a royal commission hearing in Hobart has heard.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining the Anglican Church and its youth group, the Church of England Boys Society (CEBS).

Philip Newell was Bishop of the Diocese of Tasmania from 1982 until his retirement in 2000.

Counsel Assisting Naomi Sharp asked Mr Newell about a woman who dated his eldest son in the 1980s and attended family gatherings.

"She has given evidence ... the brothers would, in your presence, occasionally talk about Louis Daniels and CEBS with 'sore bottoms'," she said.

"And you would shush them and say, 'Come boys, let's not have that at the dinner table'.

"What do you say to that?" Ms Sharp said,

"I don't believe it," Mr Newell answered.

"It's not an expression that would have been at all acceptable, but I don't believe that that occurred."

Pressing the issue Ms Sharpe said: "Had you heard, in the period 1984, 1985, anybody joking around or making references to Lou Daniels behaving in a sexually inappropriate manner with boys from CEBS?"

"No ... the first time I ever heard any complaint of that time against Daniels was in 1987 when three boys were involved and made a complaint," Mr Newell said.

The commission heard Mr Newell appointed Daniels to the position of Archdeacon of Burnie despite child abuse allegations having been made against him.

Daniels was later convicted for abusing boys in the 1970s and 80s.

Mr Newell told the hearing that Daniels was part of a general leadership group but denied he was a "political" supporter.

When asked if Daniels was someone he consulted, Mr Newell said once Daniels was appointed to Archdeacon he became part of a general leadership team the Bishop would consult with.

Mr Newell said he had no more of a personal friendship with Daniels than any other staff.

When asked he said he did not see Daniels as a potential future bishop.

He said the nature of the parish of Burnie, the largest parish on Tasmania's north-west coast, was that whoever was appointed rector would go on to become Archdeacon.

Counsel Assisting Naomi Sharp asked, "Are you minimising the nature of your relationship with Mr Daniels?"

"Certainly not," Mr Newell replied.

At the end of his evidence, Mr Newell apologised to the three survivors who came forward with allegations in 1987.

He had told the royal commission he had not taken the allegations to police because at least two of the boys had wanted it to remain confidential.

"I think that when I agreed to give the boys confidentiality ... I made a real error of judgment," Mr Newell said.

"It had appalling consequences."

He spoke of his three sons, and said he asked himself what he would have felt if his own sons had been victim to abuse.

"Would I have thought the church had done enough?" he said.

"I do, from the bottom of my heart, to those three and to anyone else who suffered because I allowed Daniels to remain in office, I apologise from the bottom of my heart to them.

"I'm grateful for this opportunity to say they were brave, they were courageous to come forward."