www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-06/philip-wi...ion-quashed/10589198

Former Adelaide archbishop Philip Wilson's conviction for concealing child sexual abuse quashed
Former Adelaide archbishop Philip Wilson is set to walk free after his conviction for concealing child sexual abuse was quashed by a judge.
Key points:

The judge said there were doubts Philip Wilson had been told about the abuse
After the verdict was announced an abuse survivor yelled out: 'Bullshit, this is a disgrace'
Wilson was the most senior Catholic to be charged with concealing child sexual abuse

The judge said Father Wilson was an honest and consistent witness and he had reasonable doubts that he had been told about the abuse.

Father Wilson was excused from attending court today in order to avoid a "media scrum" but did appear via video link.

It remains true though that when the abuse took place in his diocese - he was in charge. Paedophile priests should be known to all senior clergy.

Significantly, he was able to face the court (albeit by video link) to defend himself - even though he had been saved from a prison sentence, by arguing that he had dementia.

And he is not the most senior catholic to be accused of similar charges. A number of Cardinals have, some of whom have been dismissed in the US.

It sounds as if the judge hadn't believed the accuser named first in the article.

Barney wrote:
It remains true though that when the abuse took place in his diocese - he was in charge. Paedophile priests should be known to all senior clergy.

Significantly, he was able to face the court (albeit by video link) to defend himself - even though he had been saved from a prison sentence, by arguing that he had dementia.

And he is not the most senior catholic to be accused of similar charges. A number of Cardinals have, some of whom have been dismissed in the US.


It seems reasonable, in principle, that the senior clergy be aware of paedophile priests, but how feasible is this in practice, especially if they're not told what's going on? (They obviously wouldn't be told if the story was an invention.) Are they any more accountable for abusers in their ranks than a CEO?

It may well not be feasible, as the Catholic church has demonstrated throughout the world.

But inadequate supervision and monitoring is another probable reason.

With c70 parishes, the diocese' clergy would only number 2/300 priests these days.

Not - I'd have thought - too many to keep an eye on.


However, this has been a recurring - and far too common - problem within the this particular organisation, for many decades now.

In virtually every country on earth.


Perhaps the mandatory celibacy is the underlying problem...

I get the feeling their is a sort of "double dipping" going on here by some victims who are fulminating that the Archbishop got off and almost acting like no-one was punished. Their abuser was.

There was real talk that the prosecution of Wilson was politically driven to send a message. That may have backfired.

I couldn't possibly know the truth in these circumstances abut as for whether people knew what was going on and bearing in mind it was a different era (doesn't make it good or bad it just was) and many people just did not want to know & that includes police and even parents.

I'm reminded though - regarding Cardinal Pell. Pell has been viciously attacked by saying he did not know what went on in the 60/70s when he was at Ballarat where abuse did happen.

He was attacked by top journalists with some incorrectly believing he was the Bishop of Ballarat and should have known when in fact he was just a trainee priest like 100s of others.

He was attacked in the Royal Commission and in the media over this because he shared a house in Ballarat ( a huge Catholic centre & town) with Gerard Risdale, one of the worst self confessed abusers.

Pell says he did not know. They say "impossible, you must have noticed something"

Yet..a highly respected political journalist Paul Bongiorno was also a trainee priest at the very same time as Pell & Risdale and shared a room with Risdale and says he never suspected a thing. While Pell was a housemate..it was a huge house with some 25 residents at the time.

## Bongiorno has never been attacked over his statement..Pell has been crucified in the media but both men were exactly the same at the time..trainee priests (yet Bongiorno was far closer to Risdale)

I report..you decide.

Barney wrote:
It may well not be feasible, as the Catholic church has demonstrated throughout the world.

But inadequate supervision and monitoring is another probable reason.

With c70 parishes, the diocese' clergy would only number 2/300 priests these days.

Not - I'd have thought - too many to keep an eye on.


However, this has been a recurring - and far too common - problem within the this particular organisation, for many decades now.

In virtually every country on earth.


Perhaps the mandatory celibacy is the underlying problem.


Humans - and most other species - are, by nature, engineered to have mates.

Whether for breeding purposes, or not. Unlike Anglicans etc. - Catholic clergy must be celibate.

Since the internet, with more information available - it has become abundantly clear the the formula isn't working.


Look at the US, Chile and most other countries - where RCC abuse was the norm.

Or, as a starter, google Father Sean Fortune in Ireland; for years, the church denied this man was a paedophile - and even praised his work in the community.


Pope Francis, at last, is doing something.


The days of denial and 'I didn't know" (from bishops/cardinals) are over...

This law of failing to report child abuse is a bit odd.

Firstly, this case seems to be a pretty clear breach of the maxim nulla crimen nulla poena sin lege. The man was prosecuted for deeds which were not illegal when they were said to have happened.

Secondly, the law applies to all, not just to receivers of complaints. Would a complainant who waited decades to report the abuse to the authorities, as in this case, also have committed the crime?

More generally, making it a crime not to report child abuse is ill-considered. Not everyone has the legal knowledge to decide what must or must not be reported. There are valid differences of opinion about what is or isn't child abuse, as we can see in jury verdicts and the decisions of prosecuting authorities. This is especially so, as JK often points out, when incidents from another era are judged by values from the present. What might have been considered horseplay in the 70s could be seen as criminal today.

Lastly, this law creates a real clash with the sanctity of confession. I suppose the same problem might occur with confidentiality obligations of a medical professional too, in certain circumstances. However, this law does look a little like a political attack on the influence of the Catholic Church, if only partly.

Yes and Barney you are now banned from any Catholic comments!

Barney wrote:
Barney wrote:
It may well not be feasible, as the Catholic church has demonstrated throughout the world.

But inadequate supervision and monitoring is another probable reason.

With c70 parishes, the diocese' clergy would only number 2/300 priests these days.

Not - I'd have thought - too many to keep an eye on.


However, this has been a recurring - and far too common - problem within the this particular organisation, for many decades now.

In virtually every country on earth.


Perhaps the mandatory celibacy is the underlying problem.


Humans - and most other species - are, by nature, engineered to have mates.

Whether for breeding purposes, or not. Unlike Anglicans etc. - Catholic clergy must be celibate.

Since the internet, with more information available - it has become abundantly clear the the formula isn't working.


Look at the US, Chile and most other countries - where RCC abuse was the norm.

Or, as a starter, google Father Sean Fortune in Ireland; for years, the church denied this man was a paedophile - and even praised his work in the community.


Pope Francis, at last, is doing something.


The days of denial and 'I didn't know" (from bishops/cardinals) are over...

like many things in religion and most especially with the Catholic Church, it comes down to practicalities.

JC never said if you go and preach the Gospels you must remain celibate and not marry.

But of course the Catholic Church all those 100s of years ago were very worried about Priests (and Nuns) having wives and children and they all being in a position to claim assets off the Church, inheritances and so on.

Anyway The Pope of Hits has now spoken and issued a Papal B/S and Barney risks being excommunicated !