AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
Joanne McCarthy
6 Apr 2017
SYSTEMIC issues in Newcastle Anglican diocese allowed a network of child sex perpetrators to operate within the diocese for more than 30 years, counsel assisting the royal commission, Naomi Sharp, said in a final submission released on Thursday.
Central figures during that period included child sex offender priest Peter Rushton and defrocked former Dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence, who enlisted the support of senior diocese clergy and lay members to remain dominant.
People who reported allegations of child sexual abuse to senior clergy were treated as if they had fabricated the allegations, and were sometimes threatened with legal action, Ms Sharp said.
Child sex allegations were not reported to police; there was “permissive and timid leadership by successive bishops”, and there was an “over-reliance on the perceived honesty of alleged perpetrators when confronted with allegations.
“There was a lack of turnover of those in positions of governance within the diocese, leading to entrenched positions, conflicts of interest and a narrowed pool of expertise,” Ms Sharp said.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.