The Nation

Hepworth process still unclear

The Adelaide archdiocese had gone “over and above” requirements of the Catholic Church’s national Towards Healing guidelines in response to sexual abuse allegations by Traditional Anglican primate John Hepworth, Adelaide’s Archbishop Philip Wilson has said.

“We have followed the protocols of Towards Healing,” Archbishop Wilson told Adelaide’s Catholic newspaper, The Southern Cross, but because of Archbishop Hepworth’s wishes, “we have gone over and above the requirements of that process by appointing solicitors very early on, in November 2009, to ensure even further independence of the process.”

More recently, the archdiocese “added another layer of impartiality by appointing Michael Abbott QC to be involved in that process”.

Oddly, though, the new statements seem to add weight to one aspect of Archbishop Hepworth’s complaint about the archdiocese’s handling of the matter; that it had been “an absolute struggle even finding out what the process is”.

Questions from The Record over the past month seeking clarification as to what degree the investigation has followed Towards Healing protocols have elicited just one answer: “Given these questions raise issues directly related to the investigation, the archdiocese has been advised that it cannot respond while the investigation remains on foot.”

Mr Abbott told The Record he was unable to say whether his brief to investigate the Hepworth allegations accorded with Towards Healing. “It may or may not be,” he said. That question had to be answered by instructing solicitor Dominic Agresta of Iles Selley Lawyers. Attempts to contact Mr Agresta were unsuccessful.

Under Towards Healing, those chosen to assess a complaint “must be, and be seen to be, independent of the Church authority, the complainant and the accused”. Given the archdiocese is a client of Iles Selley, this aspect of the protocols does not appear to apply.

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