BishopAccountability.org

Defrocked Dean of Newcastle abused me as a child, royal commission hears

By Dan Cox
ABC News
August 9, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-09/child-sex-anglican-diocese-of-newcastle-judge-ralph-coolahan/7703934

The royal commission's hearings in Newcastle are continuing.

Former Newcastle Bishop Brian Farran.

Judge Ralph Coolahan died in November 2011 at the age of 62.

A man has told a royal commission's public hearings he was 15 years old when he was first sexually abused by the defrocked former Dean of Newcastle, Graeme Lawrence.The man, who can only be identified as CKH, has given evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.It is examining the ways the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle responded to child sexual abuse allegations by clergy and lay members of the church.

The man said he became a member of St Alban's Anglican Church at Griffith around 1979, and was 14 years old when church deacon Andrew Duncan had sex with him during a family holiday on a houseboat in 1980.

In 1981, while Mr Lawrence was the rector at St Alban's, CKH said Mr Lawrence entered the bedroom of his family home.

"He approached me, took my hand and put it against his trousers where I felt his erect penis. He suggested to me that I could have that any time," CKH said.

CKH said that was the start of several sexual experiences with Mr Lawrence.The commission also heard that in 1982, when CKH was around 17 years old, Mr Lawrence and his partner Greg Goyette had three-way sex with CKH at the church rectory.

Two years later, CKH said he was considering the priesthood when he attended a 1984 clergy conference at Narranderra.

He said he and a drunk friend ended up in a hotel room with Mr Lawrence and Mr Duncan, as well as priests Bruce Hoare and Graeme Sturt.

"Lawrence and Hoare started having sex with me," CKH said.

He said his sexual activity with Mr Duncan, Mr Lawrence and Mr Goyette ended in 1985.

"Once I decided to make a formal complaint about Lawrence, I knew I'd have to make my complaint about Duncan and the others involved as well," CKH said.

CKH went to Griffith police at the end of 2009 but he said senior police lawyers decided not to take the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

"I was disappointed that they decided there wasn't enough evidence," CKH said.

Bishop Farran 'was in tears about defrocking Lawrence'

The abuse allegations were instead referred to a church hearing, with the Professional Standards Board recommending the then Bishop Brian Farran defrock Mr Lawrence, Mr Duncan and Mr Hoare.

CKH said Bishop Farran did not want to defrock Mr Lawrence.

"He was in tears about the difficulty of his decision, and the effect it would have on the parishioners," CKH said.

"He was concerned about parish members and their faith, and how it would affect them in attending the church."

Mr Lawrence, Mr Duncan and Mr Hoare were all formally defrocked in 2012, while Mr Sturt's licence to minister was suspended for five years and Mr Goyette was permanently banned from holding any lay office.

In announcing this decision at the time, Bishop Farran also acknowledged the distress suffered by CKH and his family.

CKH said he was appreciative of a letter the Bishop sent apologising in 2012.

"What astounds me now is that these abusers could believe that it was okay to take responsibility for my sexual awakening and development, when they had been entrusted with my pastoral care," CKH said.

"It is acutely clear to me now that having sex with me at that age was clearly very wrong - a gross abuse of trust, selfish and thoughtless."

CKH was praising of the church's current Professional Standards procedures and recommended they be strengthened, not diluted.

"I've been able to tell my story and always been believed. That has been very helpful for me," CKH said.

"My experiences of the church Professional Standards procedures have been consistently helpful and supportive."

Under cross examination, Mr Lawrence's barrister Philip Massey put to CKH: "I suggest to you that, in fact, Mr Lawrence never had a sexual relationship with you in any form. What do you say about that?"

CKH replied: "No. I have come here to speak the truth. It is the truth, and I feel I have been very brave to speak out about what Lawrence did to me."

The public gallery applauded.

Judge in child sex case represented church during probe

Earlier, the royal commission heard a Newcastle judge who presided over the committal hearing of an Anglican priest on child sex abuse charges had appeared for the church during an internal inquiry.

Former Newcastle diocesan council member and trustee Keith Allen spent his third day giving evidence.

A man, who can only be identified as CKA, last week told the commission he was an altar boy in the 1970s when he was sexually abused by a priest, known to the commission as CKC.

During today's public hearings, Mr Allen was questioned about a letter he wrote in 2001 to barrister Paul Rosser QC relating to criminal proceedings against CKC.

The commission has heard Mr Rosser was CKC's barrister while also deputy chancellor to the diocese.

In the letter, Mr Allen wrote: "The other issue that arises in the writer's mind is that the judge, I think, appeared for the diocese in an internal trial for breaches of the diocesan ordinance a couple of years ago. Is it an issue that we should raise?"

The commission was told that judge was long-serving District Court Judge Ralph Coolahan.

"My memory is that he had appeared for the diocese in an internal inquiry some years before ... Only on the one occasion, I believe," Mr Allen said.

"It's right that you did not at any point raise this question of the judge formerly acting for the diocese with the judge during the course of this criminal prosecution?" asked counsel assisting the commission, Naomi Sharp.

Mr Allen: "I didn't. Mr Rosser was counsel in connection with the matter."

Ms Sharp: "To your memory, Mr Rosser at no point raised this with the judge?"

Mr Allen: "I'm not certain, but I don't think so."

Judge Coolahan, who presided on the District Court in Newcastle for more than 12 years, died in November 2011 at the age of 62.

The commission also heard Mr Allen recently came to the opinion that it was "a bad look" for him to act as CKC's solicitor while he was a member of the diocesan council.




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