AN Anglican bishop defrocked in 2015 over his treatment of child sex survivors, and for allowing Newcastle priest Allan Kitchingman to retain his title despite a child sex conviction, has had the defrocking overturned.
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The defrocking of Grafton Bishop Keith Slater was declared null and void by an Anglican appellate tribunal on January 19, in a decision that has raised serious concerns about the church’s disciplinary system.
Bishop Slater’s appeal was successful despite him resigning from his Grafton position in 2013, “as a sign of my recognition of these matters”, and before a damning Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse public hearing.
His defrocking in 2015 was null and void because of his resignation as Grafton bishop two years earlier, which left a Grafton professional standards board without jurisdiction to consider the matter, the church appeal tribunal found.
The royal commission hearing in 2013 was told Grafton’s professional standards was overseen by Newcastle Anglican Diocese’s professional standards unit.
In its decision the appeal tribunal said it was a matter for Grafton Bishop Dr Sarah Macneil whether she formally revoked the defrocking order “or takes any other action to remedy the injustice unintentionally inflicted upon Bishop Slater by the steps taken and announced against him in 2015”.
The Newcastle Herald has contacted Bishop Macneil’s office for comment.
The appeal tribunal stressed the decision was related to the ability of the Grafton professional standards board to consider a disciplinary complaint against Bishop Slater, and make a recommendation for defrocking to Bishop Macneil. The appeal tribunal did not consider the merits of the case against Bishop Slater.
He resigned before a royal commission hearing and after apologising to former North Coast Children’s Home residents at Lismore, after they complained of physical, psychological and sexual abuse between 1940 and the 1980s.
The public hearing in November, 2013 heard evidence Bishop Slater put the church's finances over the welfare of victims who received compensation ranging from $5000 to $20,000 for severe abuse that left many unable to work and needing regular psychiatric care.
The church settled compensation claims in 2007 brought by 38 former children at the home who told the royal commission their treatment was “like being abused all over again”.
In 2014 Grafton diocese defrocked convicted child sex offender priest Allan Kitchingman who was jailed for 18 months in 2002 for sexually abusing a boy, 12, at the home in the 1970s.
The royal commission found that Bishop Slater knew Kitchingman was a convicted child sex offender as early as 2003 but did nothing to start disciplinary action against him.
It meant Kitchingman was able to retain the title of Reverend after his release from jail and move to Newcastle.
The royal commission heard evidence of historical Newcastle Anglican diocese files alleging “falsification of records”, including those of Kitchingman.
In a statement to the royal commission Newcastle diocese professional standards director Michael Elliott, who was also Grafton professional standards director, revealed an anonymous 2002 letter which said the “disappearance” of Kitchingman from a clergy list in 1968, and his subsequent move to the Grafton diocese, “could today be construed as a type of cover-up”.
Mr Elliott gave evidence that the then Bishop Slater told Mr Elliott to end communications with one of the former North Coast Children's Home residents, Tommy Campion, in 2010 after Mr Campion refused to accept the Grafton diocese's treatment of abuse victims.
Dr Macneil said another senior Grafton clergyman, Patrick Comben, was also defrocked after evidence at the royal commission about his handling of abuse claims relating to the Lismore children's home.