Victim of Child Sexual Abuse Hoping Adelaide Archbishop Will Be Forced to Defend Charge

ABC News
September 25, 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-26/victim-of-child-sexual-abuse-hopeful-adelaide-archbishop-will-b/6806944

PHOTO: Archbishop Philip Wilson. (Alan Porritt: AAP)

A victim of child sexual abuse says he is hopeful Adelaide's Archbishop will ultimately be forced to defend a charge of concealing abuse against children.

Philip Wilson, the Archbishop of Adelaide, is the most senior catholic official in the world accused of concealing child sexual abuse.

He pleaded not guilty at Newcastle Local Court yesterday with Wilson's legal team calling for a permanent stay of proceedings.

The charge relates to when Wilson was an assistant parish priest in East Maitland in the 1970s and worked with paedophile priest James Fletcher.

The magistrate has set a date for a one-day hearing in December to hear the legal argument from both sides, with no witnesses to be called.

Peter Gogarty, a victim of Fletcher but who is not a witness in the proceedings involving Archbishop Wilson, said he is staying optimistic.

"I am very hopeful that when this is heard in December that the magistrate will decide that the matter should proceed," he said.