Royal commission: Abuse survivors push for police inquiry into Anglican Bishop Philip Newell

By Richard Baines
ABC News
February 14, 2017

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-14/abuse-survivors-push-for-police-inquiry-into-anglican-bishop/8270358

Abuse survivor Steve Fisher gave evidence to the commission a year ago.

The inquiry found Daniels was promoted despite sexually abusing three boys.

Tasmanian survivors of clergy abuse want police to investigate whether a former Anglican Bishop should face criminal charges for allowing a paedophile to remain in the church.

A day after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse released damning findings, survivors said they planned to launch legal action.

The commission held hearings in Hobart last year to examine responses to allegations within the Church of England Boy's Society (CEBS) and Anglican Diocese, including in Tasmania.

The report found evidence that former Tasmanian Bishop Philip Newell was made aware in 1987 that now-convicted paedophile Louis Daniels had sexually abused three boys.

He allowed Daniels to stay in the church and even promoted him to a high-ranking position two years later on the basis he "amend his life".

Abuse survivor Steve Fisher from the support group Beyond Abuse told the ABC he was looking at legal action.

"When you get a situation where you know someone is committing the most heinous crime, and has allowed the trail of misery that Daniels left behind him, I would certainly hope that they can then be made accountable in a legal sense as well," he said.

He and other abuse survivors are taking advice on legal avenues.

The Law Society's Rohan Foon said an influx of court action was likely after the report's release.

"I think in light of what we've heard in the royal commission, there's numerous persons who might want to take legal action," he said.

Mr Foon said civil action would not currently be possible given the statute of limitations.

Last year, the State Government announced plans to change that, in line with the commission's recommendations.

Mr Foon said it was likely to be "months rather than weeks" before the laws changed.

"The bill needs to be passed by Parliament and given Royal Assent, so it depends on the processes of Parliament and when they can have it before Parliament," he said.

A government spokesman said the legislation to change civil claims for victims of child sexual and physical abuse would be introduced later this year.

The church has started a review of the commission's findings against Bishop Newell, who cannot be stripped of his holy orders until a formal church investigation is completed.

The current Bishop of Tasmania, Richard Condie, said evidence was being gathered and it would be presented by a tribunal.

"The tribunal has a hearing, so it's three people; one lay person, plus a president and I've asked a retired Supreme Court judge if he will preside over that," he said.

The tribunal will make a non-binding recommendation that could see the now-retired Bishop Newell stripped of his holy orders.

Bishop Condie has committed to adopting the tribunal's recommendation.

It is expected the church investigation will take months to complete.