AUSTRALIA
Daily Examiner
A REPORT published by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has found the Anglican Diocese of Grafton denied responsibility for sexual abuse that took place at a children’s home established by its local rector on church land.
Other findings include that the Diocese denied financial compensation for some victims abused at the home, failed to comply with its own policies and procedures, and dealt with victims insensitively.
The report of Case Study no.3, examining the Anglican Diocese of Grafton’s response to child sexual abuse at the North Coast Children’s Home, was tabled in the Commonwealth Parliament today.
The report explores how the Diocese responded when former residents revealed their experience of child sexual abuse after 2005 and considers how the Church’s structure, policies and financial arrangements affected the way it managed abuse claims.
The report also examines how the Diocese dealt with the clergy who were accused.
The Royal Commission’s public hearing on the matter heard evidence of frequent sexual, psychological and physical abuse perpetrated against nine former child residents at the Home between 1940 and 1985 and the profound, long lasting impacts on their lives and mental health.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.