Her 14-year-old son, who also cannot be named, was preyed upon by trainee priest Ian Barrack, in the NSW Diocese of Newcastle during 1998, the commission heard. Archbishop Herft was bishop of the diocese at the time

The woman, who was herself training to become a priest, said Barrack would buy her son presents including a wind-up toy figure of a man having sex with a sheep.

When the woman showed the toy to the diocese's archdeacon, Bruce Hoare, "he laughed and did not appear to think it was offensive," the commission heard.

Mr Hoare, who was later defrocked for having group sex with a teenage boy, "told me he'd shown the toy to Bishop Herft and that they had agreed I should return the toy. "There was no mention of the diocese taking any action to reprimand Ian."

Years later, after discovering Barrack had sexually abused her son, Mr Hoare "told me he would take the matter up with Bishop Herft."

She subsequently discovered "there was no report or file" of the matter in the records of the diocese's Committee for Allegations of Sexual Misconduct.

The chair of that committee told the woman she attended a meeting with Bishop Herft and other senior church officials, during which the diocese's business manager Bruce Hockman said "Oh, we don't have to worry about this case. It's not going to get to court."

In August 2003, after making a complaint about the diocese's handling of the abuse, she received a letter from Bishop Herft in which "he berated me," she said.

Bishop Herft, who will give evidence to the commission next week, left Newcastle to become Archbishop of Perth in February 2005.

The diocese subsequently sent the mother a cheque for $2000, which she was told was "an ex-gratia payment" to her son "as ... he was travelling overseas and (they) wanted to assist in financing the travel", the commission heard.

"I believe that the payment was an attempt at buying us off," she said.

In May 2006 Barrack pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with a child, the royal commission heard.

When the woman subsequently wrote to the diocese to complain about conditions in the theological college where the abuse took place she was told "there is not much we can do with the letter as Bishop Roger has gone to higher places, namely Archbishop of Perth".

"Throughout the entire ordeal, I have felt that the church has never acted fairly, compassionately or pastorally ... I am still traumatised by the events," she told the commission.

END