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Governor-General Promoted Limits on Sex Claims

Originally published in The Canberra Times, March 12, 2002

BRISBANE: Embattled Governor-General Peter Hollingworth faces new criticism over a newspaper column he wrote about safeguarding the Church against legal claims, two years after he became aware of sexual abuse at a Toowoomba school.

A Brisbane newspaper reported yesterday that Dr Hollingworth’s column promoted the idea of having a statute of limitations on legal claims, and warned of the perils of witch-hunts against alleged child sex abusers.

In a Sunday Mail column in December 1993, the then Archbishop of Brisbane warned that therapy to trigger the memories of victims did not constitute hard evidence. “Writing in the English Roman Catholic journal the Tablet, Sir Frederick Lawton, a former British judge, has said that it may be necessary to apply the Statute of Limitations to such legal actions in order to avoid disastrous consequences of prolonged, expensive and often inconclusive litigation from which only the lawyers would benefit,” he wrote.

Meanwhile in Canberra, Opposition Leader Simon Crean said yesterday the controversy surrounding the Governor-General would not end because new information kept emerging.

Mr Crean said he maintained his belief that Dr Hollingworth should resign, because the office of governor-general was being damaged.

He said the controversy showed Prime Minister John Howard’s lack of judgment.

“Whatever happens to him, we have got to move on in terms of the issues,” he said.

Dr Hollingworth has been under fire for his role in the handling of child sex-abuse claims while he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.

Mr Crean said it was important to now look at what could be done for the victims of child sexual abuse.

“Circumstances surrounding the Governor-General and new pieces of information that keep coming out show the issues won’t go away,” he said.

“It is very important that whatever happens to the Governor-General and you know my position on what should happen that we look at what can be done in a lasting way to actually address the problems of the victims of child sexual abuse.

“That is something we will be turning our minds to.”