AUSTRALIA
Border Mail
Mark Russell
Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson had acted in a way “designed to protect the reputation of the Catholic Church” in not reporting a fellow priest’s historical sexual abuse of altar boys, a NSW court has heard.
The claim was made as magistrate Robert Stone was preparing to rule on a last-ditch bid by Wilson, who’s accused of covering up child sex abuse, to have the case against him dropped.
Mr Stone told the Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday he hoped to decide on a submission by defence barrister Stephen Odgers SC that Wilson had “no case to answer” by noon on Wednesday. But the ruling could come as late as Thursday.
Mr Odgers made the submission after prosecutor Gareth Harrison formally closed the crown case against Wilson on Tuesday.
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