Catholic Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson Moves to Stop Criminal Case over Sexual Abuse by Colleague

Herald Sun
September 25, 2015

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/catholic-adelaide-archbishop-philip-wilson-moves-to-stop-criminal-case-over-sexual-abuse-by-colleague/story-fnii5yv7-1227543817293

Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson is attempting to stop criminal proceedings against him. Picture: Tom Huntley

Adelaide’s Catholic Archbishop is attempting to permanently halt criminal proceedings against him for allegedly concealing a colleague’s sexual abuse of a young boy.

Archbishop Philip Wilson was charged in March with concealing information about the 1971 sex assault of a 10-year-old boy by pedophile priest James Fletcher in the NSW town of Maitland.

The 64-year-old, who has pleaded not guilty, applied on Friday for a permanent stay of the proceedings against him when his matter came before Newcastle Local Court.

Both parties are expected to argue the application at a hearing in the local court in December.

Police allege Wilson became aware of the abuse between 2004 and 2006 when both men worked in the Maitland Diocese, in the NSW Hunter region.

They claim he concealed the information.

When the allegation was first raised earlier this year, Wilson said he was disappointed police had decided to charge him and vowed he would “vigorously” defend his innocence.

Wilson has been Archbishop of Adelaide since 2001 and is believed to be the most senior Catholic official in the world to face a charge of this kind.

The charge follows an extensive police investigation, which since 2010 has probed allegations of concealment of child abuse by former and current clergy attached to the Catholic Church’s Maitland-Newcastle Diocese.