Thousands of Uniting Church Abuse Allegations, Royal Commission Told

By Rachel Browne
Sydney Morning Herald
March 10, 2017

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/thousands-of-uniting-church-abuse-allegations-royal-commission-told-20170310-guveqm.html

Uniting Church institutions, including schools and foster homes, have been the subject of more than 2500 allegations or incidents of child sexual abuse over the past 40 years, a royal commission has heard.

New analysis released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse shows there have been 2504 incidents, allegations or claims of paedophilia involving Uniting Church institutions since 1977.

Counsel assisting the commission Angus Stewart SC told the inquiry 255 people have made claims against the church, which has paid $17.5 million in settling child sexual abuse cases.

The inquiry heard the church has not had time to confirm the commission's analysis of the data.

Former Knox Grammar headmaster Dr Ian Paterson was found to have deliberately concealed allegations of child sexual abuse. Photo: Daniel Munoz

The inquiry heard 91 people who have attended the commission's private sessions reported they were allegedly abused in Uniting Church institutions, with the majority relating to schools or out-of-home care providers.

The church is affiliated with 64 Australian schools, including Knox Grammar, which was the subject of a royal commission hearing in 2015. In its findings on that hearing, the commission found former headmaster Dr Ian Paterson deliberately concealed allegations of child sexual abuse.

Uniting Church leaders appeared at the commission on Friday to give evidence about the organisation's current child protection policies.

The inquiry heard the church had devised a new national child protection framework in line with the royal commission's 10 recommendations for creating safe environments for children.

President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church Stuart McMillan told the commission there was broad support for the federal government's proposed redress scheme to compensate victims of child sexual abuse.

"There is certainly goodwill on the part of the churches in relation to this matter," he said.

Mr McMillan issued an apology to people who had suffered abuse as children.

"Our commitment to you is, we will seek to make amends and to ensure that others don't suffer in the same way," he said.

The hearing, before Justice Peter McClellan?, has adjourned.