AUSTRALIA’S Catholic bishops will be criticised in NSW Parliament for failing to apologise to men sexually abused as children because of Archbishop Philip Wilson’s failure to act on abuse reports.
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Greens MP and justice spokesperson David Shoebridge will move that an Australian Catholic Bishops Conference statement after Wilson’s conviction on Tuesday contained no regret that the archbishop and the Catholic Church failed the boys who relied on them for help.
The statement released by ACBC president Archbishop Mark Coleridge “does not acknowledge the nature of the crime or the verdict against one of the most senior members of the church in Australia”, Mr Shoebridge said in a motion lodged on Wednesday.
He will ask the Upper House to pass a motion noting concern at the bishops’ statement which acknowledged Wilson was found guilty of failing to inform police about allegations of child sexual abuse against Maitland-Newcastle priest Jim Fletcher, but noted Wilson “maintained his innocence throughout this long judicial process”.
It made no mention of Fletcher’s victims who gave evidence at the Newcastle Local Court trial and wept through Magistrate Robert Stone’s landmark decision after he found they were truthful and genuine witnesses.
Mr Stone found Wilson told one young boy he was lying when he reported being sexually abused by Fletcher.
Mr Shoebridge has called on the Upper House to note that Mr Stone found Wilson knew he was hearing credible allegations and wanted to protect the church and its reputation. He wants parliament to call on the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference to “formally and positively respond to the final report and recommendations from the royal commission”.
He also called on the Upper House to implement all recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which handed down its findings in December.