Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 23 May 2018

Australian archbishop convicted of child sex abuse cover-up

By ROD McGUIRK vors of child sex abuse. Of
Associated Press those who were abused in
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) religious institutions, 62 per-
— An Australian archbish- cent were Catholics.
op on Tuesday became On Tuesday, Magistrate
the most senior Roman Stone told the court that
Catholic cleric in the world Wilson had concealed the
convicted of covering up abuse of two altar boys in
child sex abuse in a test the Hunter Valley region,
case that holds to account north of Sydney, by Fletch-
church hierarchy that kept er by failing to report the al-
silent in the face of an inter- legations to police.
national pedophile crisis. Stone said he was satisfied
Magistrate Robert Stone that one of the altar boys,
handed down the verdict Peter Creigh, had been a
against Archbishop of Ad- “truthful and reliable” wit-
elaide Philip Wilson in New- ness.
castle Local Court, north of Wilson was released on bail
Sydney, following a magis- until he appears at a sen-
trate-only trial. tencing hearing on June
Wilson, 67, had pleaded 19. Prosecutors will argue
not guilty to concealing a for a custodial sentence.
serious crime committed In a statement issued by
by another person — the the Catholic Church, Wil-
sexual abuse of children son said he was disappoint-
by pedophile priest James ed by the conviction.
Fletcher in the 1970s. In this image made from video, Archbishop Philip Wilson, center, heads to Newcastle Local Court, “I will now have to consider
He had made four at- north of Sydney, Australia Tuesday, May 22, 2018. the reasons and consult
tempts in the past three Associated Press closely with my lawyers to
years to have the charge then I would think the mind was so confined by our vestigated — starting with determine the next steps,”
struck out without a trial. of the pope would be that culture that it would seem the ones still in the teaching he said.
The conviction is another that doesn’t measure up there was no disclosure,” system.” Prosecutor Gareth Harrison
step toward holding the in church terms either and he added. An Australian inquiry into had submitted that Wilson
church to account for a that therefore it would be Jason Parkinson, a former child abuse recommend- was involved in a cover-
global abuse crisis that has impossible for someone to police detective who is ed in December that the up to protect the church’s
also engulfed Pope Francis’ remain in the job as a bish- now a Canberra lawyer Catholic Church lift its de- reputation and that there
financial minister, Austra- op,” Brennan said. who specializes in repre- mand of celibacy from were doubts about his hon-
lian Cardinal George Pell. Brennan said Wilson had senting victims of clergy clergy and that priests be esty. Wilson, who is suffer-
Frank Brennan, an Austra- complied with the non- child sexual abuse, said he prosecuted for failing to ing from the early stages
lian Jesuit priest, human disclosure culture of the hoped police would now report evidence of pedo- of Alzheimer’s disease but
rights lawyer and academ- church in the 1970s. pursue Catholic orders of philia heard in the confes- maintains that medication
ic, said Wilson had to stand “There’s no doubt that teaching brothers that re- sional. has helped his memory,
aside as archbishop of the Archbishop Wilson in re- sponded to families’ com- Australia’s longest-running told the court last month
South Australian state capi- cent years ... has been one plaints by transferring per- royal commission — which during his trial that he could
tal. of the good guys. He has petrators to other schools. is the country’s highest form not remember Creigh and
“I would think that the mind been one of the bishops in “Hopefully this conviction of inquiry — had been in- another altar boy telling
of Pope Francis at this stage the Catholic Church who means that more prosecu- vestigating since 2012 how him in 1976 that they were
would be that if there be a have been trying to clean tions can be launched the Catholic Church and abused by Fletcher.
conviction of a bishop in re- things up,” Brennan said. against the brothers of other institutions responded The court has ruled that
lation to a failure to disclose “But this relates to when he various teaching orders,” to sexual abuse of children Creigh can be named in
abuse in circumstances was a young priest. Even Parkinson said in a text in Australia over 90 years. media reports, but that the
where the state thought someone like him who later message. “These brothers/ The report heard testimony second accuser cannot be
that was criminal activity, got it back in those years headmasters should be in- from more than 8,000 survi- named for legal reasons.q