Australian Anglican Church gets tough on sex offenders
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Australian Anglican Church gets tough on sex offenders*
June 22, 2008 05:21pm
Article from: AAP
THE Anglican Diocese of Brisbane has toughened its policy on sex
offenders, banning priests from the church as soon as they are convicted.
The synod of the diocese, sitting in Brisbane this weekend, amended the
professional standards to strengthen current protocols for dealing with
sex offenders.
Brisbane Archbishop Dr Phillip Aspinall said the changes meant a clergy
person convicted of a criminal offence by a court would be removed as a
priest much faster.
"Anyone charged with sexual abuse is suspended immediately, and if they
are convicted, their licence is removed," Dr Aspinall said.
"The changes made today at synod mean that a separate church hearing
into the facts of the matter will no longer be necessary where a clergy
person has been convicted of a sexual offence."
The person will still have the right to appeal to church authorities,
but that process will now be quicker.
The synod also improved its protocol for dealing with complaints of
sexual abuse.
Sex abuse, Homosexuality, Pedophilia, physical and mental abuse has run
rampant in The Australian Anglican Church for several decades now.
The changes give specific guidelines for dealing with child sexual
abuse, and emphasise the need to inform police when a complaint is lodged.