Church sex sorrow doubted

Carnley fears royal commission, says lobby group chief

THE timing of an apology by the Anglican Church to victims of child abuse by its clergy showed it was not sincere, the president of the International Association of Former Migrants and their Families said yesterday.

 By Eloise Dortch                                 Australia, flag   Western Australia, flag
  Norman Johnston, a former Clontarf boy and prominent campaigner over child abuse by the Catholic Church in WA [Western Australian], said the apology came too late.
  He said it was strange that Australia's Anglican Primate and Archbishop of Perth Peter Carnley had apologised this week when he had admitted to knowing of four cases of child abuse during 20 years he had served in Perth.
  Mr Johnston said the real reason for the apology was because the Church feared child abuse by clergy could become subject to a royal commission.
  "Dr Carnley has already known of four cases -- why is an apology suddenly needed now?" Mr Johnston said.
  "We believe this move is more inspired by the Church's lawyers than by any move of conscience."
  Mr Johnston questioned Dr Carnley's recent comments about claims by Estelle Thomas, of Perth, that she had been abused as a child by a man who later became an Anglican priest.
  In The West Australian yesterday, Dr Carnley said the priest concerned was aged more than 70 and past retirement so the claim was a police matter.
  Mr Johnston said the case should always have been a police matter irrespective of age or employment.
  "If he has abused people he should be handed over whether he is 21 or 70," he said.
  Mr Johnston said there was a widespread attitude in religious organisations in Australia that abuse allegations could be handled in-house and not by police.
  He wanted a royal commission into all forms of child abuse within all religious organisations in Australia.
  He also wanted churches to pay for independently sourced counselling services to victims.
  "I don't think abused children should be sent back to the abusers," he said.
  "I could never go back to the Catholic Church for counselling for what the Christian Brothers did to me."
  Child sex abuse campaigner Hetty Johnston, of no relation to Mr Johnston, welcomed Dr Carnley's "sorry" statement issued from a general synod meeting in Perth on Sunday.
  She said the apology was obviously prompted by the furore surrounding Governor-General Peter Hollingworth over his failure to act on abuse allegations while archbishop of Brisbane.
  Ms Johnston said it was now up to the Anglican Church to take action to support victims of child sex abuse, not merely apologise.

© Eloise Dortch, The West Australian, Tuesday March 19 2002, p 13
The West Home at http://www.thewest.com.au/ To e-mail letters to the editor use: letters@wanews.com.au

FURTHER READING
A: Guidelines for handling clergy abusing children www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/nonmarital.htm Feb 19 2002.
B: Fathers would make the best "Fathers"; how to select minsters; Mar 4 02
##: Mainstream "Media Abuse", saying R.C's. trying to bypass civil law The Record, Perth, Jan 17 02
##: Vatican's norms 'not in US dioceses' The Record Jan 17 02
##: Cardinal Law apologises on past abuse by priests The Record Jan 17 02
@@: Priests applaud as U.S. Cardinal Law says he will not resign The Record Jan 31 02
G: Boston R.C. Diocese reports 87 clergy The Record, Feb 21 02
H: Father Van Klooster in sex case hit in Bunbury court The West Australian Feb 26 02.
I: Father Kelly's escape to Belgium stymied The West Australian Feb 28 02.
E: Governor-General says sorry to abused woman The West Australian Mar 2 02.
D: Senator Heffernan a man possessed The Weekend Australian Mar 2-3 02
F: Paying for sins of the fathers The Weekend Australian Mar 2-3 02
J: Resign, U.S. R.C. priest abusers are told The West Australian Mar 5 02
FURTHER READING, continued
K: Hoopmann, Queensland Lutheran Pastor, denies sex charge The West Australian Mar 6 02
L: Father Geoghan -- Deal close on $60m U.S. sex payout The West Australian Mar 7 02
##: U.S. bishops act on sex problem The Record Mar 7 02
##: Adelaide's Archbishop Wilson defends Vatican guidelines The Record Mar 14 02
@@: Church sex sorrow not conscience move The West Australian Mar 19 02
@@: Section of "Church queries no-sex vow" The West Australian Tuesday March 19 02
@@: Pulpit blast for U.S. cardinal The West Australian Mar 26 02
@@: "Hollingworth dumped again" by a charity The West Australian Mar 28 02
@@: Priest abuse and abortion woman gets $2m payout in Los Angeles area The West Australian Wednesday Apr 3 02
@@: Bishop resigns over sex cleric in Ireland who abused dozens of boys The West Australian Wednesday Apr 3 02
@@: Scandal keeps lawyer busy with 250 clients in three continents The West Australian Wednesday Apr 3 02

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