HomeNewsPerth archbishop under fire for ignoring abuse complaints

Perth archbishop under fire for ignoring abuse complaints

Published on

spot_img

Archbishop Roger Herft has been accused of ignoring complaints of a paedophile ring amongst his clergy

The Archbishop of Perth has been accused of ignoring complaints of a paedophile ring amongst his clergy. Last week the ABC’s ‘7:30’ programme broadcast a report that the Most Rev. Roger Herft failed to inform police of abuse allegations leveled against Archdeacon Peter Rushton while he served as Bishop of Newcastle in New South Wales in 2002.  Documents unearthed by ABC purport to show Archbishop Herft writing  the complaint against Rushton “left me in an unenviable position” because “Father Peter had my licence and if he re-offended I would be held liable as I now had prior knowledge of his alleged behaviour”. The archbishop’s letter states he had been told by the father of one of Rushton’s victims the archdeacon had sexually abused his son 15 years earlier after the father welcomed Rushton into his home to “spend some days off”. In 2010 the Diocese of Newcastle confirmed that Rushton had been a serial child abuser, molesting children in his parish, at Church of England Boys Society camps and at St Alban’s Boys Home in the Hunter Valley. Rushton, who died in 2008, was alleged to have been the “king pin” in a paedophile ring that took boys from the home orphanage, where he served on the board of trustees, to weekend sex orgies. The director of professional standards for the Diocese of Newcastle, Michael Elliott, told ABC there was no record of Archbishop Herft informing police about allegations leveled against Rushton. A spokesman for the archbishop said he was not able to comment on the report as he was scheduled to testify before Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearings in Newcastle next month.

 

Latest articles

Gaza: House of Bishops statement on attack on Al Ahli Hospital

14/04/2025 Yesterday across the Church of England and around the Anglican Communion, we marked Palm...

King Charles praises Islam and Judaism in surprising Easter message

https://youtu.be/tNcUVEx2asU?si=kqANYkEP-8cg4poC

Why the Roman Catholic Church Is Rising in England—and What It Reveals About Faith in an Age of Uncertainty

I remember a story from the time of the American Great Awakening. It may be...

Bearing Witness in a Time of War: A Pastoral Word on Gaza

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, One of the earliest and most powerful acclamations of...

Anglican Mainstream survives deplatforming attempt

A UK Christian charity is urging all charity trustees to urgently risk assess their...

More like this

Gaza: House of Bishops statement on attack on Al Ahli Hospital

14/04/2025 Yesterday across the Church of England and around the Anglican Communion, we marked Palm...

King Charles praises Islam and Judaism in surprising Easter message

https://youtu.be/tNcUVEx2asU?si=kqANYkEP-8cg4poC

Why the Roman Catholic Church Is Rising in England—and What It Reveals About Faith in an Age of Uncertainty

I remember a story from the time of the American Great Awakening. It may be...