Boys allegedly locked in rooms to be repeatedly raped by different men, by Neil Keene, Daily Telegraph (August 01, 2016)

A PAEDOPHILE Anglican minister used a knife to cut one of his victims while he raped him to symbolise the “blood of Christ”, a Royal Commission has heard.

Giving evidence in Newcastle this afternoon, Paul Gray described how he was in the Church of England Boys Brigade in Newcastle in the 1960s and became an altar boy aged 12.

Speaking through tears, Mr Gray said he was first raped when he was 10 by now-deceased Fr Peter Rushton — the first assault of years of weekly or fortnightly abuse to come.

Fr Rushton, who was Mr Gray’s godfather, would sometimes cut into Mr Gray’s back, “symbolic of the blood of Christ”, Mr Gray said.

He recounted a church camp during which he was chased by two men and raped in the bush while another boy was raped nearby.

He was later taken to St Albans School For Boys in the Hunter Valley and regularly locked in what was known as the “f — king room”, where he would be forced into anal, oral and group sex with men.

On one occasion, he and other boys were forced to lie down on separate beds to await the arrival of a group of men.

“Each of the men picked a boy and each of the boys was taken into a different room and sexually abused,” he said.

In a heart-wrenching opening statement this morning to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Naomi Sharp, counsel assisting, outlined evidence to be presented by victims and Bishops who were in positions of power when the alleged abuse took place.

“It is anticipated that the evidence will show many of these alleged perpetrators closely associated with each other,” she said.

“After outlining these stories, this address points to some of the systemic issues expected to arise during this case study (of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle).”

Among the abuse survivors to give evidence will be Paul Gray, who was just 10 years old when he first suffered at the hands of the now-deceased Father Peter Rushton.

Ms Sharp said the evidence would include details of a period during the mid-1960s at St Albans School For Boys in the Hunter Valley, where Mr Gray was locked in a room for hours at a time, with men periodically entering the room and raping him.

“Another issue for consideration during this case study is whether there was a culture within the diocese that permitted child sexual abuse to flourish and which protected the perpetrators,” Ms Sharp said.

“A possible place to start in considering this question is Morpeth College.”

But Ms Sharp said a previous investigation found that of 86 alleged perpetrators who were Anglican clergy or candidates for clergy within the Australian Anglican Church, 14 trained at Morpeth College.

Four implicated in the allegations to come trained at the college at the same time.

One witness would give evidence, Ms Sharp said, about “rumours about homosexual activity between the priests and about some who fancied little boys”.

Eight bishops are among more than 30 people to provide statements over the next fortnight.

Opening the hearings, Ian Temby QC, who is representing the State of NSW, applied for a non-publication order for one of the people implicated by the hearing, pointing out that charges were likely to be laid against that person following the Royal Commission.

“It seems to be a likelihood that there will be fresh proceedings commenced,” he said, adding that identifying the person in question might jeopardise the integrity of any consequent trial.

Outside Newcastle courthouse, where the Royal Commission is sitting, Pat Garnet was one of about 20 people waving banners and placards calling for truth and justice for abuse victims.

Ms Garnet, who was heavily involved with the church before becoming disenchanted after learning of systemic abuse, wore a shirt reading: “Your Jesus must be weeping.”

“Children have had the very essence of their being stolen from them by these organisations, and the cover-up has been as serious an issue as any other in the world,” Ms Garnet said.

“The Pope talks about the world being at war but these people have been at war for years.”

Glenis Andersen, a former ward of the state who was abused in foster care during the 1970s, said she wanted the perpetrators of child sex abuse punished.

“And I would like to see churches taxed to raise money to help the victims,” Ms Glenis said.

“We need the truth to come out from the government and the welfare organisations that have hidden so many terrible things over the years.”