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	Church Reviews Anti-Abuse Strategy West Australian June 17, 2009 http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=581247 A third of child sexual abuse cases substantiated by the Anglican Church resulted in no action against the perpetrator, a new study has found. Anglican Primate Archbishop Phillip Aspinall on Wednesday released the results of a research project designed to help the church strengthen its child protection protocols. The study was welcomed by victims group Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA), although the organisation said it remained to be seen whether the church would stand by victims over time. The report, received by Anglican leaders at a meeting in Sydney at the weekend, examined 191 alleged cases of child sexual abuse reported between 1990 and 2008 from 17 dioceses around Australia. It found most reported cases were substantiated. But of the substantiated cases, 34 per cent resulted in no action by the church, while 22 per cent went to court, and 31.5 per cent resulted in disciplinary action. The report said the fact that, on average, abuse was not reported until 23 years after it occurred meant many perpetrators died before any action could be taken, or too much time had passed to make a clear determination of what had happened. It said 24 per cent of the accused were dead by the time the complaint was made to the church or died during the investigation. The study found three-quarters of complainants were male, most aged 10 to 15 at the time of abuse. Most of the accused were clergy or youth workers and most abuse took place at the homes of the perpetrators or on church premises. Dr Aspinall said the report would not only strengthen the church's child protection protocols, but was a reminder of the "tragic events of the past and of the pain which still exists". "We reiterate our apology, our sorrow and our deep regret for abuse which has occurred," he said. ASCA director Michael Salter said the report signalled a refreshing move away from the previous emphasis of the church on legal risk minimisation and offers of small amounts of compensation in an attempt to forestall lawsuits. "The authors of the report acknowledge that the Anglican Church has a responsibility to address the long-term needs of survivors of clergy abuse," he said. "The degree of chronic disability and distress in the lives of victims of clergy abuse is disturbingly high. "It remains to be seen whether the Anglican Church is willing to invest the time and money required to meet the needs of adults who have suffered clergy abuse as children," Mr Salter said.
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