Has anyone ever heard of an abuse case by the clergy where the church didn't try to cover it up? I know I haven't.
What is sad here is that Adelaide's premier boys' school assisted its chaplain to escape justice for molesting a boarder. School's good name and personal liking, one assumes?
You hafta wonder how many other boys this fella abused.
Where can I get a copy of this report? download or hardcopy does't matter.
Gerald Minson
0412820454
Nothing new about abuse
dlowan wrote:What is sad here is that Adelaide's premier boys' school assisted its chaplain to escape justice for molesting a boarder. School's good name and personal liking, one assumes?
You hafta wonder how many other boys this fella abused.
I grew up in Adelaide and, from the ages of 5 to 17, attending a single sex private school. Virtually all my friends, male and female, attended similar same sex private schools, including the one in question. I've been saddened by the recent revelations but not in the least bit surprised. Covering up nasty little secrets is nothing new for these schools as maintaining prestige has and always will be the name of the game.
All of us kids knew about or heard the rumours about drug dealing, bullying and sexual misconduct (I remember hearing the story of a young boy in about year 8 being raped by two older guys as part of their bullying tactics) but no one would ever acknowledge this stuff publicly. At worst there would be a few students expelled and some grumbling from parents but, no matter how many lives were damaged or destroyed, things were still hushed up and we were all expected to carry on as if nothing happened. We were the 'privileged few' and nothing could be allowed to mar that image.
The world of private schools is incredibly insular, elitist, competitive, arrogant and mercenary. You get a crash-hot education and make contacts that will serve you well and ensure a lifetime of bourgeoise comfort but sometimes there is a price to pay. Sickening, isn't it?
Re: Nothing new about abuse
jackitalia wrote:
The world of private schools is incredibly insular, elitist, competitive, arrogant and mercenary. You get a crash-hot education and make contacts that will serve you well and ensure a lifetime of bourgeoise comfort but sometimes there is a price to pay. Sickening, isn't it?
And the rest of us pay for it with our taxes so the federal government can give them 70% of the education budget, for educating 30% of the students.
And, Adelaide's Archbishop has resigned.
9 arrests today re Anglican church child abuse scandal in Adelaide.
Yeah - kinda caught the tail end of that....
"We've been shameful
20jun04
THE Anglican Church has pledged to fully compensate sex abuse victims in South Australia, admitting it has shown "callous indifference" to their allegations.
The church's administrator, Archdeacon John Collas, also anticipates further suspensions or dismissals of church workers found to have breached the reporting of abuse.
A meeting of the 300-member Synod in Adelaide yesterday unanimously agreed to apologise for the "shameful way" the church has handled complaints of sexual abuse.
"Those who have suffered have been dismissed, ignored and, in some cases, treated with callous indifference," Archdeacon Collas said.
"A blind eye has been turned to criminal behaviour or, even worse, it has been covered up."
"We have failed people. We have failed God."
In other developments yesterday:
FORMER archbishop Ian George will be denied his farewell service at St Peter's Cathedral on June 27 after revelations he wrote letters of sympathy to confessed child abuser and former St Peter's College chaplain John Mountford.
AN independent Ombudsman will be considered to audit the church's professional standards committee which monitors the activities of all workers.
NINE of the 11 key recommendations of the Independent Board of Inquiry report into the handling of sex abuse claims in the Anglican Church have been adopted. The remaining two will be considered in the next six months.
A LAWYER representing more than 50 victims of alleged sex abuse within the church said he was still waiting to be contacted by the church regarding compensation for his clients.
Archdeacon Collas said he hoped to meet lawyers this week to discuss the compensation claims.
"In every way that those who were abused need help (that) will be met," he said.
"We will find a way to fund that; it's not a problem for us. They're (the Diocese's finance department) going to have to do it."
Archdeacon Collas would not detail how the church would find the money or whether it would have to sell any assets.
The all-day meeting, at the Adelaide Convention Centre, was mainly sombre with a heavy burden of guilt and sorrow hanging over the crowd.
One woman made a silent protest as Archdeacon Collas gave his opening address, holding up a linen sheet painted with the words: "For God's sake don't ignore spiritual abuse." However, the mood lightened with several women knitting as the debate continued.
In his opening address, Archdeacon Collas said: "I anticipate that as the professional standards committee continues its work, it will be advising me that certain church workers should be suspended or dismissed".
"I am strongly committed to ensuring that no one who represents a risk to people's safety continues in ministry."
Reverend Don Owers, who with Reverend Andrew King, battled for years to establish an inquiry into sex abuse said he was reassured by the sense of sorrow and shock displayed at the Synod meeting.
"What I was concerned about was the Synod being in a state of denial (but) they are not," he said.
"Some of the measures are really quite important steps forward for the Synod.
"It's easy to pass motions ? now how we act on them.
"That's the challenge." "
And here is the story Wilso refers to:
Former clergy in pedophile swoop
By Steve Larkin
20jun04
TWO former Anglican ministers and a former Salvation Army officer were among nine people arrested in recent days for child sex offences, a South Australian police taskforce said today.
A former junior surf lifesaving coach and two former leaders of the Church of England Boys Society were also detained.
The first of the nine arrests was made last Thursday by the South Australian Police pedophile task force as part of their investigations into child sex abuse claims within the Anglican Church in Adelaide.
More arrests were expected to be made of people who were once tied to other community and service organisations, Detective Superintendent Grant Stevens said today.
"There are other people that are the subject of ongoing investigations," he said.
"There is still quite a long way to go, this is only the first stage in the process.
"It's anticipated that the investigation will result in further arrests."
Police made two of the nine arrests in Adelaide today, with the other seven made since Thursday, Det Supt Stevens said.
The men arrested with direct ties to the Anglican Church included a 58-year-old former minister who allegedly indecently assaulted four teenagers between 1973 and 2000.
Another former Anglican minister, aged 59 and now living in Queensland, was being extradited to SA today to face four indecent assault charges and one count of buggery. All the offences allegedly involved a 12-year-old child and occurred between 1970 and 1975.
A former Anglican Church foster carer, aged 54, was charged with indecently assaulting an 11-year-old in 1980-81 when the child was a ward of the state.
The former Salvation Army officer, aged 65 and living in Victoria, was charged with indecently assaulting a 12-year-old in 1966-67.
Another man, aged 71 and a former Salvation Army carer, was arrested on two counts of indecent assault and eight counts of buggery. The alleged offences occurred between 1961 and 1964. His alleged victims, aged six and nine, were in the care of the Salvation Army Boys Home at the time.
One of the former Church of England Boys Society leaders, aged 45, will face five charges of gross indecency allegedly committed between 1986 and 1988 on a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old.
The other former Church of England Boys Society leader, aged 69, was arrested for 14 indecent assaults allegedly committed on six victims aged between 12 and 16, between 1970 and 1982.
A 78-year-old former junior coach with the Surf Lifesaving Association of SA was charged with eight counts of rape and seven counts of indecent assault, relating to incidents alleged to have occurred between 1952 and 1980 and involving an eight-year-old and a nine-year-old.
Another man, aged 67, has been charged with three counts of indecent assault between 1964 and 1970.
The police pedophile task force was established in June last year after two Anglican clergymen went public with claims of up to 200 child sex abuses cases within the Adelaide diocese.
The controversy triggered the resignation of Archbishop Ian George 10 days ago in the wake of an independent report into the church's handling of the allegations.
The report found the church's priority was to protect itself at the expense of victims and was more concerned with its legal and insurance standing than the healing of those abused.
An apology to all victims was read at all Anglican parishes in Adelaide today after being ratified by 280 members of the Adelaide diocese at a special synod yesterday.
"We apologise for the shameful way we have actively worked against and discouraged those who have come to us and reported abuse," the apology said.
"We are ashamed to have to acknowledge we only took notice when the survivors of abuse became a threat to us."
The nine arrested will face Adelaide courts at later dates.
