Abuse Investigator Bullied in Newcastle

By Annette Blackwell
7 News
August 11, 2016

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/32293753/abuse-inquiry-to-quiz-ex-church-chancellor/#page1

A former policeman working to clean up an Anglican diocese where child abuse was allegedly covered up says he has been harassed and had his home attacked because of his work.

Michael Elliott has been director of the professional standards board in the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle in the Hunter Region of NSW since 2009.

On Thursday he gave evidence at a royal commission investigating the diocese's response to abuse allegations over three decades.

He said there was a high level of interference in his professional standards work by diocesan hierarchy and moves to curtail the powers of the board when it began investigating complaints about a number of clergy, including the former dean of Newcastle Cathedral, Graeme Lawrence.

The board was investigating complaints by abuse survivor CKH who has told the commission he was 14 in 1980 when he was groomed and sexually abused by priest Andrew Duncan.

CKH also reported having group sex with Lawrence and the priest's long-time partner teacher Greg Goyette as well as priests Bruce Hoare and Graeme Sturt.

Mr Elliott reported CKH's complaint to police but no charges eventuated so he then instigated the standards board inquiry.

The board recommended the clergymen be defrocked. Lawrence attempted to have the decision quashed by the Supreme Court in 2012 but failed.

Mr Elliott told Naomi Sharp, counsel assisting the commission, he has had to move house, his car has been vandalised 20 times and he has received "harassing telephone calls and texts".

His dog has also gone missing and was never returned.

He said he had no doubt the attacks were "linked to my work within the diocese".

The commission has been hearing of deep divisions with the Newcastle diocese and following a decision to defrock Lawrence a group of influential parishioners came out strongly in support of him.

The commission inquiry which started last week has been hearing about brown or yellow sealed envelopes that were kept in a safe and contained notes relating to sensitive issues including child sex abuse complaints.

Two witnesses, solicitor Keith Allen, a former trustee of the diocese and former registrar Peter Mitchell, have said they were never shown the contents, although broad details were discussed by a group to which they belonged.

Mr Elliott said on Thursday he was handed 36 of them by Bishop Brian Farran and reviewed them and found a lot of issues that involved professional standards.

Cross-examination of Mr Elliott continues on Friday and his evidence is expected to be followed by that of Archbishop Roger Herft who was Bishop of Newcastle from 1993 to February 2005.