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	Church to Decide Sex Abuse Priest's Fate The Age February 29, 2008 http://news.theage.com.au/church-to-decide-sex-abuse-priests-fate/20080229-1vug.html An Anglican Church board will hear evidence on Saturday which could lead to a priest jailed over child sex offences being stripped of his orders. Robert Francis Sharwood, 62, of Brisbane, was jailed for 12 months in November 2006 after being found guilty of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in Brisbane more than 30 years ago. Sharwood was released from jail in November last year, attracting calls by child protection advocates for him to be immediately stripped of his holy orders. While Brisbane Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall removed Sharwood's licence to operate as a priest in the diocese in 2002, the church's independent Professional Standards Board has yet to complete its processes which could lead to Sharwood being defrocked. A formal public hearing of the board, chaired by Supreme Court judge Debra Mullins, will be held in Brisbane on Saturday. It is not known whether Sharwood will attend the hearing. Since his release, Sharwood has been allowed to join a choir which includes children in an inner-Brisbane parish, but is supervised by adult parishioners. Justice Mullins' decision will be referred to Dr Aspinall.
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