Child Abuse Royal Commission: Counsel's Submission Criticises Newcastle Anglican Bishops
By Giselle Wakatama
A counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has taken aim at several former Newcastle Anglican bishops, concluding one was "weak and ineffectual on child sexual abuse". In its Newcastle and Sydney hearings in 2016, the royal commission heard claims of paedophile networks and cover ups during its probe into Newcastle's Anglican Diocese. The royal commission today published the written submissions for the public hearings into the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. In her submission, counsel assisting the royal commission, Naomi Sharp, made nearly 150 observations known as 'available findings' in the report. She said when former bishops Alfred Holland and Richard Appleby were able to ignore disclosures of allegations of sexual abuse, they chose to do so. Ms Sharp added that Bishop Holland's and Appleby's denial of knowing about the prosecution of paedophile Stephen Hatley Gray should not be accepted. She said the pair were also not correct when they implied they had no prior knowledge of allegations that prolific paedophile Peter Rushton had sexually abused children. Ms Sharp said the same representation was made by former Newcastle Anglican bishop and outgoing Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft in relation to Rushton. Former bishop 'weak and ineffectual' Ms Sharp's criticism of Bishop Herft did not end there. "Bishop Herft mishandled the allegations of child sexual abuse made against two of the most senior and domineering priests in the diocese — the Dean of the Cathedral, Mr Lawrence, and the one-time Archdeacon of Maitland, Rushton," she said. "His response was weak, ineffectual, and showed no regard for the need to protect children from the risk that they would be preyed upon. "It was a failure of leadership." She also criticised legal advice Bishop Herft received from former church chancellor Paul Rosser QC. "In 1998, Mr Rosser QC in his capacity as deputy chancellor advised Bishop Roger Herft to avoid receiving disclosures of child sexual abuse in order to avoid putting himself in a situation where he was obliged to report the alleged conduct to the police," Ms Sharp said. "The effect of this advice was that Bishop Herft should remain wilfully blind to allegations of child sexual abuse." And she claimed Bishop Herft's successor Brian Farran was not informed about claims of abuse. "It was remiss of Bishop Herft to not make Bishop Farran aware that Mr Lawrence and Rushton, who had been two of the most senior priests in the diocese, had both been accused of sexually abusing children.
Diocese had 'no compassion' relating to victims The case of the dead priest George Parker was a focus of the royal commission. Parker was accused of abusing two boys in the 1970s, but had four charges withdrawn in 2001 after there was conflicting evidence. In December those charges were reinstated and another 20 added. Ms Sharp said the diocese failed the men who made complaints. "The diocese, under the leadership of Bishop Herft, showed no compassion towards, and provided no support to, CKA and CKB in relation to their allegations that CKC had sexually abused them as children," she said. "Rather, officers in the diocese actively sought to undermine them. "Bishop Herft was aware of this undermining conduct. Bishop Herft failed to meet his pastoral responsibilities to these two complainants." Power bloc perpetuated culture of 'cover up' During his evidence to the commission, Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson said he was the bishop not welcome in his own cathedral. He has since quit, attributing the strain to the power bloc trying to get rid of him. Some branded him a liar when he claimed he too was abused by former Newcastle Bishop Ian Shevill. Ms Sharp focused on that in her submission. "Following Bishop Thompson's decision to publicly announce his alleged abuse at the hands of Bishop Shevill and another senior member of clergy in the 1970s, he experienced a backlash from sections within the diocese," she said. "This group within the diocese drove a process to discourage the diocese from dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse and, in doing so, perpetuated a culture of cover up and denial."
No evidence of paedophile ring operating out of college The commission heard the St John's Theological College at Morpeth had the nickname "Satan's playground". But Ms Sharp said evidence did not support claims that it was a breeding ground for paedophiles. "There is insufficient evidence before the royal commission to support a finding that a paedophile ring operated out of, or originated from, Morpeth College," she said. "Further, there is at this time insufficient evidence to support a finding that Morpeth College was the cause or catalyst for sexual offending against children, or that the environment at Morpeth College." "There is insufficient evidence before the royal commission to find that the behaviour of Morpeth College graduates who became perpetrators can be directly attributable to a particular interpretation of Anglo-Catholicism. "There are a vast many Anglo-Catholics, including those who graduated from Morpeth College, who have not abused children." 'Vital we reflect deeply', diocese says The Anglican Diocese of Newcastle has acknowledged several failures. "First and foremost, the submissions continue to recount the horrendous experience of children of the diocese and their families," the diocese said in a statement. "It is vital that we reflect deeply and carefully on the material before the commission in order that the institution of the diocese and all institutions might be safe and healthy places for all vulnerable people. "The submissions also point to a failure by the diocese to appropriately respond when people came forward to seek assistance. "The commissioners have heard so many stories of abuse within institutions. "They lead the way with their clear and strong empathy for people who have been harmed."
Bishops respond In a submission in response to the submission by the counsel assisting the commission, lawyers for former Newcastle Bishop Roger Herft rejected the allegations. In the submission Bishop Herft said he had used his time in the royal commission witness box to apologise to abuse survivors. His lawyers said criticism of him was not warranted. "There is no evidence that Bishop Herft sought to minimise the nature and impact of offending," a lawyer said. In a submission, the legal team for former Assistant Bishop Richard Appleby also disputed the allegations and asked the commission to take into account his good character. "Bishop Appleby respectfully requests that in evaluating his testimony, the commission consider the following: the frank manner in which he gave his evidence; his willingness to make concessions against his own interests; and his long and distinguished service as a religious man." Former Bishop Holland's legal team again backed claims he knew nothing about complaints, until well after he had retired. "Bishop Holland stated that the first he knew of child sexual abuse within the diocese was through the media long after his retirement," his lawyer said in the submission.
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