AUSTRALIA
WA Today
July 22 2016
Heather McNeill
The Anglican Bishop of Perth, Roger Herft, did not report a child abuse complaint he received against a priest labelled the “king pin” of a paedophile ring to police, according to an Anglican Church insider.
ABC’s 7.30 program claimed it had obtained a confidential note showing Archbishop Herft had received a complaint about Father Peter Rushton molesting a boy when they worked together in New South Wales in 2002.
According to ABC News, in the note, the Archbishop wrote the complaint “left me in an unenviable position” because “Father Peter had my licence [to be a priest] and if he re-offended I would be held liable as I now had prior knowledge of his alleged behaviour”.
He goes on to explain he had been informed by a man that Rushton had molested his son 15 to 20 years ago, after the father welcomed the priest into his home to “spend some days off”.
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