AUSTRALIA
The Australian
OCTOBER 24, 2014
Michael McKenna
Reporter
Brisbane
THE head of Australia’s Anglican Church has acknowledged the “cover-up’’ of child sexual abuse in Queensland and Britain as it emerged a pedophile clergyman was still allowed access to choirboys after the first complaints were made to church officials.
Primate of Australia, Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier yesterday said he was profoundly disappointed with handling of allegations of horrific sexual abuse of boys by former Queensland headmaster, and later Dean of Manchester Robert Waddington over several decades.
A church-ordered inquiry in Britain this week found a “systemic failure” of church officials, led by the former Archbishop of York, now Lord David Hope of Thornes, in handling allegations against Waddington, made in 1999, 2003 and 2004.
The 164-page report by British judge Sally Cahill, following a year-long inquiry prompted by a joint investigation by The Australian and The Times, has sparked a proposed overhaul of child protection measures within the Church of England.
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