Removalist Uncovered Child Pornography at Priest's Newcastle Home, Royal Commission Hears
By Dan Cox
A former removalist has told the child sexual abuse royal commission he felt sick when he found child pornography while packing the belongings of a Hunter Valley priest. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining the ways the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle responded to allegations by clergy and lay members of the church. Gary Askie worked for Farragher Removalists in 1998 when he was asked to move the possessions of Anglican priest Peter Rushton. The commission has heard Rushton worked across the Newcastle diocese from 1963, but allegations of sexual abuse involving him only came to light after his death in 2007. In giving evidence to the commission, Mr Askie said he found pornographic movies at the priest's home. "I saw a few movies with male people having sex with each other on the covers, and on the cover of one of them there was a couple of pictures of a young person," he said. Counsel assisting the commission Naomi Sharp asked: "When you say young person, what was the age?" Mr Askie replied: "I would think he would be around 12." He said finding it made him feel "absolutely shocked, and horrified, and sick". Mr Askie said he reported it to his bosses, who asked him to sign a statement that he could not remember writing. "I wasn't allowed to talk about it. I was told the church knew he was gay," Mr Askie said. Former Upper Hunter Archdeacon Colvin Ford told the commission last week that hundreds of pornographic videos were found by removalists. He said Rushton had asked another priest, Father David Simpson, to destroy them. "David told me ... that he burned in the backyard of the rectory at Islington. He also told me that the covers of some of the videos depicted men and boys, which I took to mean primary school aged children," Archdeacon Ford said. Mitchell denies lying about access to 'brown envelopes' A former church official has told the commission so-called brown envelopes or files containing child sexual abuse allegations were kept in a safe in his office, but he never accessed them. Peter Mitchell was the diocesan registrar in Newcastle's Anglican diocese between 1993 and 2002, and resigned after being convicted and sentenced to jail for defrauding the diocese of $193,000. The commission heard the diocesan secretary was the only other person with a key to the safe, but Mr Mitchell said he was not aware of what was inside the envelopes. He was shown a file note in which he had written: "The chair and the registrar should liaise at regular intervals to determine whether there are any patterns of behaviour, or involvement emerging from the names of claimants and respondents, which may require further investigation." Commission chair Justice Peter McClellan said it was "extraordinary" that Mr Mitchell did not recall liaising with the chair. "I swore an oath that I would tell the truth — I'm telling the truth," Mr Mitchell replied. The public hearings were shown another file note, written by current business manager John Cleary. It stated that Keith Allen had said the "brown envelopes" advisory committee included Mr Allen and Mr Mitchell, as well as Graeme Lawrence, Jim Helman, Robert Caddies, Paul Rosser, as well as Bishop Roger Herft. Mr Mitchell said he was not aware of any advisory committee and denied being part of it, and reiterated he was never told of child abuse allegations against priests. Former church registrar denies altering records Mr Mitchell denied altering records and being deliberately obstructive while police investigated a priest accused of child sexual abuse.
A man, who can only be identified as CKA, last week told the commission he was an altar boy when he was sexually abused by a priest, known to the commission as CKC, between 1971 to 1975. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ended up withdrawing the charges against CKC in September 2001 when his defence team produced a register of when priests had been licensed to operate in the diocese. The public hearings have been told the service register showed the abuse could not have happened when CKA said it did, and the matter was "no billed". The commission heard Mr Mitchell has been friends with CKC since 1979. Mr Mitchell said he could not recall if he got a subpoena or a phone call requesting the register be tendered to the court. Asked if he made any changes to the register of services, Mr Mitchell replied: "Certainly not." Ms Sharp today showed Mr Mitchell a copy of the Diocesan Synod membership roll from 1978 to 1984. "Could I direct your attention to the year 1978? Do you agree that it looks like the eight has been amended by hand?" Ms Sharp asked. Mr Mitchell replied: "That's a possibility," but denied having any knowledge of how the amendment was made. "Are you able to assist in any way with understanding why the membership roll for the Diocesan Synod is only sourced back to 1978?" Ms Sharp put to him. Mr Mitchell answered: "No, I can't help you with that." Ms Sharp put to him: "Is it right, Mr Mitchell, that in your dealings with the police and the DPP in relation to the CKC prosecution you adopted a deliberately obstructive approach?" Mr Mitchell replied: "Certainly not ... we responded to their requests fully." The commission has been told NSW Police are reinvestigating the allegations against CKC, and any retrial it is not expected to be held in Newcastle. The royal commission is also examining abuse allegations in relation to clergy and lay people in connection to the Woodlands Boys home at Wallsend.
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