Bishop Admits the Anglican Church Was Harsh in Dealing with Nsw Child Sex Abuse Victims
By Ashleigh Raper
A bishop has admitted to the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse that the Anglican Church was harsh in its dealing with victims from a children's home in northern New South Wales. A group of former residents from the North Coast Children's Home in Lismore run by the Anglican Church made a compensation claim for alleged sexual and physical abuse between the 1940s and 1980s. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is looking into the response from the Diocese to the allegations and how it handled the group claim. Bishop Keith Slater held a powerful position when the former residents came forward claiming abuse. This year he resigned as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Grafton over his handling of the claims and has now been called to explain his actions to the commission. During questioning, Bishop Slater told Counsel Assisting Simeon Beckett that the Church's finances were his main concern. Simeon Beckett: Did it strike you at the time that the commercial approach being taken to negotiations might be at odds with a moral approach to respond to the claims? Keith Slater: No, but I can see on reflection. Simeon Beckett: You can see now why some people might say that the approach taken was unduly harsh, given the nature of abuse these people had sustained. Keith Slater: True. In a statement to the commission at the end of his testimony, Keith Slater made an apology. "I can't make a public apology on behalf of the Diocese of Grafton because I'm no longer the Bishop of the Diocese, so I want to express my deep sorrow to those who were abused," he said. "I fell short, very short, in my oversight of the protocol and processes that were required. "I am personally totally humiliated in myself. "I want to express my deepest and most profound apologies to any persons upon whom this has impacted." Apology for smiling Earlier today the Bishop apologised in advance for smiling while giving evidence about the child sexual abuse allegations. This morning Keith Slater told the Commission that smiling is part of his personality, so he should not be judged if he smiles at a time that does not seem appropriate. He said he made the comments because another witness had been criticised for smiling while giving evidence. More compensation possible The royal commission has heard the former residents of the children's home may get more compensation for the abuse they suffered. The class action was settled in 2007 with the Diocese paying $825,000. The claimants received about $10,000 each. During questioning from Counsel Assisting Simeon Beckett, the administrator of the Diocese Gregory Ezzy told the commission the Church has a new way of dealing with claims and a review is under way. The hearing continues.
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