Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson Fails to Stop Hearing on Charge of Concealing Child Sex Abuse

ABC News
February 11, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-12/adelaide-archbishop-fails-concealing-child-sex-abuse-charge/7162534

PHOTO: Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson has applied for a permanent stay on charges of concealing child sex offences. (Alan Porritt: AAP)

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson has failed in his bid to stop proceedings on a charge of concealing child sex abuse.

Wilson had applied to Newcastle Local Court for a permanent stay on the case.

Wilson has pleaded not guilty to concealing the serious indictable offence of the now-dead paedophile priest James Fletcher in the 1970s.

He is the most senior Catholic clergyman in the world charged with concealing child sexual abuse.

During the hearing, the court was told the child sexual abuse cover-up charge laid against Wilson was invalid as there was no evidence the offence he is accused of concealing ever happened.

The crown asked to admit tendency evidence in a bid to show Wilson's alleged actions were not isolated.

Prosecutor Gareth Harrison alleged Wilson was involved in paying a woman an amount of money so an allegation of indecent assault would go away.

No 'proof of knowledge'

Wilson's lawyer Ian Temby QC said his client would not get a fair trial.

Mr Temby said there was a lack of what he termed "proof of knowledge" in relation to his client, and said the crown needed something more than mere suspicion.

He said a permanent stay of proceedings was warranted because suspicion of a crime was not enough.

Mr Temby said the concealment charge was legally invalid because it was impossible to prove Fletcher committed the indictable offence.