Hillsong Head Did Not Report Sexual Abuse Allegations Because It Was the Victim's "Prerogative"

By Tyron Butson
9 News
October 9, 2014

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2014/10/09/15/03/hillsong-church-head-didnt-report-sex-abuse-because-he-considered-it-the-victims-prerogative

Hillsong Church's pastor Brian Houston speaking during the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearings. (AAP)

The head of the Hillsong Church has told an abuse inquiry he did not report allegations his preacher father had sexually abused a young boy to police because he believed it was the victim’s “prerogative” to report the incident.

Senior Pastor Brian Houston also today told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse he did not see a conflict of interest in his heading up the internal investigation into the allegations, despite being the son of the man accused.

The commission is examining the handling of allegations against Brian Houston's father William Francis Houston, better known as Frank.

It has already heard Houston admitted to the abuse, which took place several decades ago in New Zealand and Australia.

But in late 1999 when allegations that the senior Houston had sexually abused a boy, who can only be identified as AHA, in the 1960s and 70s, Mr Houston did not go to the police.

“He (AHA) was 35-36-years-old, and I thought it was his prerogative to go to the police,” he told the commission.

“I knew for the five years that my father was alive, there was every chance he would be charged.”

Mr Houston, who went on to found the world-spanning Hillsong Church, said he confronted his father several weeks after the allegation emerged.

Frank Houston, pictured preaching during his career as a pentecostal pastor, is subject to sex abuse claims. (9NEWS)

“It was the worst meeting of my life, when he came into my office,” he said.

“He admitted to fondling the genitals of one boy, he told me it was a one-off occasion – he might have downplayed it, but he did not try and hide what he had done.”

Prior to confronting his father, the then-senior minister in the Assemblies of God Church, launched an internal investigation into the allegations.

But despite being the son of the man at centre of the abuse claims, he told the commission he saw no conflict of interest in his heading up the investigation, saying he wanted to be “sensitive to the wishes” of AHA.

“He was brittle - he did not want the matter to be investigated by the civil or church authorities,” he said.

“I was genuinely (trying to) be sensitive to his wishes.”

Hillsong pastor Brian Houston has appeared before the institutional inquiry into child sex abuse. (Supplied)

Houston was stood down from his position in the church following the meeting and never preached again.

He died in 2004.

Mr Houston again refuted claims, heard before the royal commission on Tuesday, that he told an abuse victim they were to blame for "tempting" his father.

“My father did some evil things, but at no point did he try and blame the boy – he took it on himself,” he said.

The hearing continues.