The Royal Commission Exposed How Peter Mitchell "Sank the Boot in" to an Alleged Child Sex Victim

By Joanne Mccarthy
Newcastle Herald
August 11, 2016

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4089839/man-rejects-witness-box-apology/

A MAN who accused a Hunter Anglican priest of sexually abusing him as a child has rejected an apology from disgraced former diocese registrar Peter Mitchell for “sinking the boot in” after an aborted court case in 2001.

Mitchell, convicted of defrauding the diocese of nearly $200,000 in 2002, told the royal commission on Wednesday that he was sorry for the distress he caused the man, known as CKA, by writing what he conceded were false statements about the case in an Anglican magazine article.

Mitchell wrote in 2001 that “the facts show the Crown did not have evidence to bring any action against” the priest, who the royal commission was told is likely to face fresh child sex abuse charges dating from the 1970s.

“What you wrote there is false, isn’t it?” Justice Peter McClellan put to Mitchell whose Anglican Encounter article included a line that “The reality is the Crown did not have a case against” the priest.

Mitchell also wrote that: “While (the priest) cannot comprehend the actions of the complainants, he bears them no ill will.”

The man known as CKA rejected Mitchell’s “Sorry” made from the witness box as the royal commission considers Newcastle Anglican diocese’s response to child sex allegations over decades.

“I reject that apology, as piss weak as it was. I reject it out of hand because it was simply self-serving,” CKA said.

“That article was them putting the boot into me. That was all that was about.”

The royal commission heard allegations a diocese registry, which led to the court case being discontinued, was altered.

CKA said he walked out of the royal commission after Mitchell appeared to get upset while talking of the “trauma” of being reminded of the fraud crimes he committed against the diocese, that led to him being jailed.

“What’s he traumatised about? The $200,000 he ripped off?

“I walked out because I couldn’t listen to that s...”

The royal commission heard that while the diocese did not report child sex allegations against priests to police for decades, fraud allegations against Mitchell were reported to police as soon as they were detected.