Former Governor-general Peter Hollingworth Took “a Punt” on a Paedophile Priest

By Patrick Billings
Mercury
February 3, 2016

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/scales-of-justice/former-governorgeneral-peter-hollingworth-took-a-punt-on-a-paedophile-priest/news-story/12568804f0a774afbba315d9e2571973

Dr Peter Hollingworth leaves the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse after giving evidence to the hearing in Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

FORMER Governor-general Peter Hollingworth has told a child abuse inquiry in Hobart how he, as the then leader of Brisbane’s Anglican Church, took “a punt” on a paedophile priest in allowing him to remain a rector in Queensland.

Dr Peter Hollingworth leaves the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse after giving evidence to the hearing in Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Dr Hollingworth was the Brishbane Anglican Archdeacon in 1993 when he learnt priest Johnt Litton Elliot had sexually abused a boy prior to ordination.

Elliot was a former Church of England Boys (CEBS) leader in Tasmania before he moved to Queensland in the 1960s.

In the late 1970s he started abusing a boy, aged nine or 10, for about four years while working as a lay preacher and CEBS leader.

When Dr Hollingworth became aware of the abuse he referred Elliot, who was then a priest, to a psychiatrist to assess whether Elliot’s paedophilia was treatable.

Dr John Slaughter’s advice was that it wasn’t.

However in late 1993 Dr Hollingworth wrote to Elliot that “no good purpose can be served” by standing him down.

In the letter, Dr Hollingworth said he was departing “from the advice given to me by Dr Slaughter, who is of the view that your problem is something which keeps recurring and is likely to happen again.”

Dr Hollingworth today at the royal commission described it as taking a “punt” on Elliot

“I’m really saying ‘I’m taking a punt on you and I have to trust in you and you’ve got to take every step you can to make sure that you don’t get yourself into any situations that is going to put somebody else at risk,” he said.

Elliot remained a rector until retirement in 1998 when he was then allowed to continue as a locum rector.

He was subsequently convicted of about 30 child sex offences against seven boys.

The offences all occurred before he was ordained and the commission has heard Elliot did not reoffend while a priest.

Dr Hollingworth said his actions “were misguided, wrong and a serious error of judgment and that I genuinely regret that.”

He made an unreserved apology to the victim and his family.

Dr Hollingworth resigned as Governor-general in 2003 after a public outcry over his actions.