ABUSE Victims Need Answers from Inquiry: Archbishop

7 News
November 16, 2012

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15400577/abuse-victims-need-answers-from-inquiry-archbishop/


Anglican Church Primate Phillip Aspinall said the royal commission into child sex abuse would be an historic opportunity to protect children.

Archbishop Aspinall, visiting Adelaide for a meeting of the General Synod standing committee, said he approached then-prime minister John Howard a decade ago about abuse within institutions such as the church, but nothing was done.

"I thought it was worth doing 10 years ago and I approached the prime minister. At the time he declined. I approached the state premier in Queensland, he declined so the church did what we could in Brisbane. I welcome the fact that we're taking a more comprehensive approach," he said.

He urged the commission's terms of reference be full and fearless and that it be properly resourced.

Archbishop Aspinall thinks the royal commission should decide if the rules of the confessional need to be changed.

He said the seal of the confessional was a huge dilemma facing the church on matters of sexual abuse.

He said he would struggle personally if told the seal does apply.

"I think there are issues there that the royal commission should explore and try to get to the bottom of," he said.

"I think the general public shares my convictions that these things should be dealt with by the police and in the courts and should be reported."

Archbishop Aspinall said all victims of child sexual abuse would be looking to the royal commission for answers and validation, including the many victims who were abused in family settings.