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Former Governor-general Peter Hollingworth Apologises for His Reaction to Reports of Child Abuse

By Andrew Drummond
Courier Mail
February 2, 2016

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/former-governorgeneral-peter-hollingworth-apologises-for-his-reaction-to-reports-of-child-abuse/news-story/4f049528f539fab5f2178bd7d0f61e9b

[with vidoe]

FORMER governor-general Peter Hollingworth is among two senior Anglican leaders who have apologised for the way they dealt with ­reports of child sexual abuse.

Giving evidence to a royal commission hearing yesterday, Dr Hollingworth said his failure to take action against then-priest John ­Elliot heightened the distress for a victim, a man who cannot be named for legal reasons.

“I want to make an apology to (the victim) and to all the members of his family for the way which his complaint of abuse against John ­Elliot was handled when it was first referred to me as archbishop of Brisbane in 1993,” Dr Hollingworth told the commission hearing in Hobart.

“After a great deal of consideration over the past 22 years I acknowledge unreservedly that my actions were misguided, wrong and a serious error of judgment and that I genuinely regret it.”

He added that he did not understand the repercussions of child sexual abuse.

“I failed to make your needs my absolute first priority,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 




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