Bishop Peter Stuart told parishioners that Cathedral picture walls of former bishops and deans were distressing for some survivors of abuse "because it appears as though church is continuing to honour people" who failed to protect children or caused them harm.

Although church buildings told the history of an area's ministry it was important to consider whether the photos should be removed and the diocese's leadership story told in another way, Bishop Stuart said in a letter to parishioners on January 19.

The proposal comes 18 months after Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson marked his 500th day in the position by making a formal apology to abuse survivors, and warning of shocking evidence to come at a Newcastle Anglican hearing of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

"Some of our photos of clergy are going to be difficult to hang on the walls after the royal commission," Bishop Thompson said in June, 2015, before speaking in public about being sexually abused by the late Newcastle Anglican Bishop Ian Shevill.

"What is being revealed is the shadow lives of some. The good that some people in the past did does not somehow balance out the fact that they allowed this to happen."

The Newcastle Anglican hearing in August and November heard evidence from six current or former Newcastle Anglican bishops, including Archbishop Herft, and defrocked former Dean Graeme Lawrence.

Archbishop Herft resigned in December after admitting to the royal commission he had been told three times that Mr Lawrence had sexually abused children, but failed to pass information to police. He also told the commission he gave "incorrect" evidence when he previously told the commission that no one raised concerns with him about Mr Lawrence.

The commission also heard evidence Archbishop Herft was warned about the shocking child sex crimes of priest Peter Rushton, but did not contact police.

Bishop Alfred Holland denied any knowledge of child sex offending in the diocese during his time as bishop between 1978 and 1992, and promoted two serial child sex offenders and a priest to positions of authority.

Mr Lawrence, who was ­defrocked in 2012 after a church inquiry found he had had group sex with another priest and a 17-year-old boy, was one of a powerful "gang of three" who protected Rushton within the diocese, the commission heard.

Cathedral parishioner and former Newcastle Lord Mayor John McNaughton did not respond to a request for comment. Mr McNaughton was one of a number of prominent Newcastle Anglicans who criticised Bishop Thompson in a letter to royal commission chairman Justice Peter McClellan.

The commission heard there was an orcestrated campaign against the bishop from within the Cathedral parish.

Two other former Cathedral parishioners said they did not want to comment or be identified.

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Newcastle Anglican priest George Parker at centre of 2001 court controversy

By Joanne McCarthy
NEWCASTLE HERALD
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4400506/priest-dies-just-three-weeks-after-charges/
Jan 12, 2017

Former Newcastle Anglican priest George Parker has died only two weeks after he was charged with 24 child sex offences, including five counts of buggery, against two young boys in the 1970s.

FORMER Newcastle Anglican priest George Parker has died only three weeks after he was charged with 24 child sex offences against two young boys in the 1970s.

Father Parker, 79, was first charged with child sex offences in 2000. But in a controversial Newcastle District Court case in 2001, four charges relating to the sexual assault of the young boys were no-billed after an Anglican church register was produced during the trial.

No-billed matters are withdrawn from court but can be resumed at a later date if there is further evidence.

Newcastle Police Strike Force Arinya-2 Detective Acting Inspector Jeff Little reinstated the no-billed offences and charged the priest with 20 fresh offences, including five counts of buggery, after travelling to Ballarat on December 23.

It followed extensive investigations and new statements from the two men about multiple sexual assaults by Father Parker between 1971 and 1975, from when they were 10 and eight.

In 2010 one of the men received a public apology from the then Newcastle Anglican Bishop Brian Farran for the diocese's handling of the matter, including former Bishop Roger Herft writing to him in June, 2004 and incorrectly stating Father Parker had been acquitted of the charges.

In the apology Bishop Farran said the man and his family "were treated inappropriately over an extended period of time by members of the Anglican Church after he reported he had been sexually abused as a child by a member of the church", Bishop Farran said.

"I wish to extend a sincere and public apology to him and his family for their situation, and the pain and trauma they have experienced."

The man, a former Newcastle Anglican church employee, said he repeatedly warned the diocese, from as early as 1984, that a "network" of paedophile priests preyed on children, but the diocese failed to act on the warnings.

"I told them in 1984 that 'You've got a network of these bastards preying on altar boys', and I named names," the former church employee said.

A Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse into how Newcastle Anglican diocese responded to allegations heard evidence in August and November about extensive church knowledge of child sex offending by priests including Peter Rushton. Evidence included church files on 36 "sexual misconduct" cases, primarily child sex allegations.

Archbishop Roger Herft became the most senior casualty of the royal commission when he resigned in December, after admitting he "badly" let down abuse survivors.

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Child sex abuse set to cost Perth Anglican diocese more than $1m over three years

By Peter Law
PerthNow
January 28, 2017

Child sex abuse is expected to cost the Anglican diocese of Perth more than $1 million over just three years.

Settlement payments to victims of abuse by clergy or church staff in WA soared in the past year, an internal church report reveals.

But the Perth diocese this week refused to say how many complaints of child sex abuse it had received, how many allegations were reported to WA police, how many victims received settlements or what confidentiality restrictions were attached to payments.

The Diocesan Council Report to Synod 2016 shows costs associated with settlement, counselling for victims and legals fees was expected to total $432,800 in 2016-17. The figure is $263,739 more than the original budget.

This was due to "increased claims as a result of referrals" from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the document shows.

And the church expects child sex abuse will cost it another $400,000 in 2017-18 -- more than double the amount it was spending one year ago. It comes at a time of crisis for the Anglican church in WA after Archbishop Roger Herft became the most senior casualty of the royal commission.

Archbishop Herft stood aside from his duties last year after he gave evidence to the Royal Commission in August showing how he had failed to act on warnings of priests abusing children in Newcastle when he led the church there between 1993 and 2005.

The payouts also follow a series of reports by The Sunday Times that revealed alleged sex abuse suffered by boys at Swan Homes, an Anglican Church-run orphanage in Middle Swan.

Four men told how they were allegedly abused as boys by staff in the 1940s and 1950s. Two of the men said they each received $80,000 in financial redress from the church.

In a written statement, Perth diocesan secretary Brian Dixon said the Perth diocese continued to co-operate "fully and openly" with the Royal Commission but "does not intend to provide ongoing media commentary ahead of the commission's findings".

"The diocese deeply regrets that children in our care were subject to sexual abuse and we acknowledge the long-term impact and harm (and) apologise unreservedly," he said.

Mr Dixon did not respond to questions about what impact the State Government's plan to remove the six-year statute of limitations for victims of child sex abuse would have on the church. He would not say if it would follow the lead of the Melbourne diocese and set up an independent body to investigate sex abuse complaints.

"The diocese has made significant progress in providing safe environments for children and vulnerable people and has implemented robust screenings, safe ministry training for clergy and church workers and disciplinary procedures for anyone who has offended against a child," his statement said, revealing Mr Herft's replacement would be named in "coming months".

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BRISBANE: Defrocking of negligent Anglican bishop in child abuse case 'null and void'
Former bishop of Grafton, Keith Slater, was deposed from the priesthood for failing to follow church protocol

BY MICHAEL McKENNA
The Australian
January 26, 2017

The defrocking of a former Anglican bishop for his mishandling of child abuse complaints has been overturned by a ruling that has led to high-level calls for an overhaul of the church's disciplinary system.

Former bishop of Grafton Keith Slater was deposed from holy orders in 2015 for failing to follow church protocol in handling historical abuse claims at a children's home in Lismore, northeast NSW, and keeping Newcastle priest Allan Kitchingman in the clergy despite convictions for child sex offences.

Mr Slater, now living in Queensland after retiring as bishop in 2013, was also found to have failed to report abuse allegations to police as recently as 2011. He was deposed after an internal investigation following damning evidence in 2013 at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse over his handling of abuse claims.

Despite admitting most of the alleged misconduct, Mr Slater appealed to the Appellate Tribunal of the Anglican Church of Australia.

Last week, the tribunal found that because Mr Slater had already resigned as a bishop, the body that ultimately investigated his behaviour did not have the jurisdiction to recommend his deposition from holy orders. The defrocking was ruled "null and void''.

Bishop of Grafton Sarah Macneil issued a statement to The Australian yesterday confirming the decision and saying it showed the need for reform within the church.

"I am disappointed that the professional standards legislation put in place by the diocese of Grafton, on the recommendation of the national church, has been shown in this case to be deficient and that our legislation does not appear to be applicable in some cases," Dr Macneil said. "We will be working with the relevant bodies in the church to ensure that all people who have positions of authority and leadership can be held accountable."

A former Lismore children's home abuse victim and campaigner for justice, Tommy Campion, said the shock reinstatement of Mr Slater was ''the most ridiculous thing'' he had ever heard.

Mr Campion told The Australian that the church had promised that Bishop Slater's deposition from holy orders was final and could not be appealed.

Dr Macneil acknowledged to Mr Campion yesterday that "this decision will come as a shock and bitter disappointment for you and others who closely linked the deposition of Keith Slater with justice for victims of the North Coast's Children's Home".

"I am dismayed that a process we believed to be sound has been found not to be ..."

END