AUSTRALIA
Maitland Mercury
By NICK BIELBY March 17, 2015
Catholic church abuse victims say a criminal charge against the Archbishop of Adelaide for allegedly failing to report crimes against children in the Hunter shows the church is not above the law.
A former Maitland priest, Archbishop Philip Wilson has become the most senior Catholic clergyman to be charged with concealing the sexual abuse of children.
Police attached to Strike Force Lantle charged the 64-year-old with concealing a serious offence yesterday.
He is accused of failing to report the abuse of defrocked priest James Fletcher when both men were working in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese in the 1970s.
Vacy man Peter Gogarty, who was one of Fletcher’s victims between 1972 and 1978, said he had always believed other members of the clergy knew about Fletcher’s actions.
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