Bishop apologises for not involving police

NT News
February 1, 2016

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/breaking-news/fixit-asst-bishop-at-tas-abuse-inquiry/news-story/48e7b5b8914236d6e5dff15a87cff411

Bishop apologises for not involving police

The former leader of the Anglican church in Tasmania has apologised for failing to alert police after boys raised allegations of sexual abuse by a priest.

Bishop Phillip Keith Newell on Monday ended his evidence to a royal commission with an admission, adding it was "too much" to ask forgiveness from the victims.

"I made a wrong judgment," said the ageing Bishop.

"If I had acted then ... and done the adult thing and gone to the police, so much suffering would have been avoided."

As a father of three sons, Bishop Newell said he has questioned his response if it had been one of his children giving the account of abuse, which he described as outrageous, gross and criminal.

"I made a real error of judgment that had appalling consequences."

The commission has heard evidence previously that neither of the two boys who took their complaint to Bishop Newell in 1987 wanted the matter escalated out of fear their family and friends would find out.

Bishop Newell said that in hindsight he should have ignored their protestations, but instead he chose to discipline the offending priest, Louis Daniels, including a demand that he amend his behaviour.

But two years later, Bishop Newell oversaw Daniels' promotion to archdeacon as one of the state's top-three church leaders in a move he described on Monday as a "totally inappropriate appointment".

And in 1993 Daniels was chosen to lead a newly established youth commission.

It all came crashing down for Daniels in 1994 when a victim went directly to police with a complaint.

Bishop Newell's then-assistant Ronald Francis Stone - who has also given evidence - confronted Daniels, seeking his resignation, which was handed in immediately.

For the next two years Daniels found work as a teacher in Canberra and bishops Newell and Stone have been questioned about why the church circulated a letter citing his resignation for "personal reasons", rather than highlighting the ongoing risk the man could pose to children.

"There was never any attempt by me at any time to ... cover up and certainly not to cover up on a rogue priest who I now knew had lied to me so many times," Bishop Newell said.

Daniels has since pleaded guilty and been jailed for offences against 11 boys.

Both bishops said that when they heard news of the sexual abuse, they had no experience of how to deal with it.

"This was the first time I had ever faced, in my whole life, whatever my work, accusations of pedophile conduct," Bishop Newell said.

The commission is looking at offences by Daniels and other laymen and clergy men Garth Hawkins (now known as Robin Goodfellow), Robert Brandenburg, Simon Jacobs and John Elliot.

Each has been convicted of offences except for Brandenburg who was charged but died before facing court.

The continuing public hearing is looking at the Church of England Boys' Society and how the diocese of Tasmania, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide responded to allegations of abuse.