*** DEBUG START ***
*** DEBUG END ***

Bishop resigns early over abuse allegations

24 May 2013

THE Bishop of Grafton, in northern New South Wales, has resigned early after a safeguarding audit revealed that he had not referred some sexual-abuse allegations to the diocese's professional-standards director. The allegations concerned a children's home in Lismore.

The Rt Revd Keith Slater, who has been Bishop of Grafton for nine years, had previously announced that he would resign in November this year.

Media reports suggest that Bishop Slater was pressed to resign by the Primate, Dr Phillip Aspinall, who has also sent a copy of an internal review of the matter to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

In a statement, Bishop Slater said that he acknowledged his responsibility for ensuring full compliance with the diocese's abuse protocol, and that he "had failed in this duty". Some matters "detailing sexual abuse at the North Coast Children's Home were not referred to the professional-standards director as they should have been", he said.

He apologised to the complainants concerned: the matters had all now been referred to the director, who was in liaison with police "to ensure that all relevant information has been provided to them".

The Most Revd Denis Hart, the RC Archbishop of Melbourne, has admitted to the Victorian Parliament's inquiry into institutional handling of child sexual abuse (News, 3 May) that the Church had covered up child sexual-abuse allegations.

Archbishop Hart said that a former Archbishop, the late Sir Frank Little, had not kept any records of allegations made to him, and had moved the clergy concerned to "innocent parishes".

After he was asked why it had taken 18 years for the RC Church to write to Rome concerning one priest accused of paedophilia, Archbishop Hart's response that it was "better late than never" brought audible gasps from the packed public gallery. He said: "I am appalled by the actions of these criminals against the weakest and most defenceless in the community. I apologise unreservedly for one of the darkest periods in our Church's history."

Cardinal George Pell, a former RC Archbishop of Melbourne and now Archbishop of Sydney, will give evidence on the last sitting day of the Victorian inquiry next week. The inquiry is to report to Parliament by the end of September.

Browse Church and Charity jobs on the Church Times jobsite

Forthcoming Events

Women Mystics: Female Theologians through Christian History

13 January - 19 May 2025

An online evening lecture series, run jointly by Sarum College and The Church Times

tickets available

 

Festival of Faith and Literature

28 February - 2 March 2025

tickets available

 

Visit our Events page for upcoming and past events 

Welcome to the Church Times

 

To explore the Church Times website fully, please sign in or subscribe.

Non-subscribers can read four articles for free each month. (You will need to register.)