Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson child sex abuse concealing trial delayed

Zero tolerance 

The trial of the most senior Catholic in the world to be charged with concealing child sex abuse has been delayed after it was revealed the accused, Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson, had a pacemaker installed days before he was due in court.

Archbishop Wilson was set to appear in Newcastle Local Court today to face one charge of concealing a serious indictable offence, namely, that he knew about the offences committed by a priest in the 1970s but did not go to police with information when the priest was charged.

BRON

The 67-year-old faces up to two years in jail for the charge, which he has denied.

The court heard Archbishop Wilson remains at home as he had the operation to install a pacemaker days ago and cannot board a flight until tomorrow. His barrister, Stephen Odgers SC, said while they were not going to argue the Archbishop would be unfit to face trial, a neurologist had “concerns” about his health and had placed him on medication after concerns about his mental ability.

“Concerns have now been raised about the defendant’s cognitive capacities,” Mr Odgers said. “What I anticipate the professor to say is that he has suspicions about the defendant’s capacities, that may not be apparent in conversation, (but) the only way to really find out is to do neuropsychological testing.”

The court heard the “best case” was that the medication could take three to six months to work.

At 2pm today, the court will hear from the neurologist before considering whether to delay the trial until Thursday or next year.

Magistrate Caleb Franklin was told there are 16 witnesses for the prosecution, 14 of whom are civilians, and three or four for the defence.

Police will allege Archbishop Wilson failed to advise police between April, 2004, and July, 2006, that Hunter Valley priest James Patrick Fletcher had indecently assaulted a 10-year-old boy in 1971. It’s alleged the boy told the Archbishop, then a priest, that he had been abused, and that a second boy disclosed during confession in 1976 that he was also sexually abused by Fletcher. Fletcher died in jail in 2006 after being convicted.

Archbishop Wilson was first charged in March, 2015, more than two and a half years ago, and has, since then, made three attempts to have the matter quashed or permanently stayed. In each stage — a local court magistrate, the NSW Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal, he has been unsuccessful.

KLIK