Anglican Church Examines More Abuse Cases on Nsw North Coast

By Emily Bourke
The ABC News
November 18, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-18/anglican-church-examines-more-abuse-cases-on-nsw/5098400?section=nsw

[with audio]

The Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse will be preparing to publicly examine the North Coast Children's Home in Lismore. David Hanger from the Professional Standards Committee says the people who handled the complaints at the time were concerned about the Church's financial exposure. He says the diocese is currently handling several other cases from the orphanage and they've referred some matters to police.

TONY EASTLEY: Two months ago, the Anglican Diocese of Grafton in northern New South Wales publicly apologised to victims who suffered abuse over decades at the children's home in Lismore.

The apology came several months after the Anglican Bishop of Grafton, Keith Slater, resigned, admitting he failed to properly manage the allegations and had turned victims away.

The diocese says it's currently handling more cases from the orphanage and they've referred some matters to police.

David Hanger is chair of the Professional Standards Committee for the Diocese of Grafton.

He's speaking here to AM's Emily Bourke.

DAVID HANGER: What we discovered in terms of our failures was a real wake up call for us as a diocese. The outcome of that has been a deep sense of shame, a deep sense of repentance, a deep sense of wanting to ensure that we respond appropriately to what's happened in the past and in the future. And that's an attitudinal change for us.

EMILY BOURKE: What were the failings of the Church in regards to the North Coast Children's Home?

DAVID HANGER: Our prime failure was not to follow the protocols and policies that we already had in place when claims of sexual abuse first came to light. And our second failure was a failure to live what we believe. Sexual abuse is utterly abhorrent to us all; we've always believed that. But we allowed ourselves to get caught up in legal responsibilities instead of looking at the people and their needs.

EMILY BOURKE: For the church leaders who were negotiating with the victims, were they mostly worried about legal exposure and that if more victims came forward, it would put the Church in a financially vulnerable position?

DAVID HANGER: It's difficult to me to know exactly whether that was the overriding concern, but that was certainly a major concern.

EMILY BOURKE: And the damage it could do to the reputation of the Church?

DAVID HANGER: No, I don't think for us the reputation issue was the prime motivation. I think it was, we got caught up in trying to work out our legal responsibilities and follow those through.

EMILY BOURKE: How is the diocese handling complaints now? Have you got the complaints before you?

DAVID HANGER: We're very careful to ensure that we are handling complaints according to our protocols. Currently we're close to finalising four complaints and there are three others that we are investigating at this stage.

EMILY BOURKE: And how are you treating them differently from the matters that came before the diocese in 2006?

DAVID HANGER: We're not taking a legal approach. We are seeking more approach of mediation, of discussion, taking the opportunity for personal apology and then working through the issues of appropriate financial settlements.

EMILY BOURKE: Is there any doubt about the responsibility that the Anglican Church had for the North Coast Children's Home?

DAVID HANGER: No, there isn't .

EMILY BOURKE: Have you referred any matters to police?

DAVID HANGER: Yes, we have. Most of the perpetrators are dead. Where perpetrators are still alive, all matters have been referred to the police.

TONY EASTLEY: David Hanger, chair of the Professional Standards Committee for the Anglican Diocese of Grafton. Emily Bourke with that report.