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Australian archbishop faces jail over covering up abuse of altar boys by priest

Guilty: Philip Wilson, the Archbishop of Adelaide, failed to report the claims to police: EPA
Guilty: Philip Wilson, the Archbishop of Adelaide, failed to report the claims to police: EPA

An archbishop today become the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the world to be convicted of covering up child sex abuse.

Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced next month following the verdict at Newcastle local court, New South Wales.

Wilson, 67, had pleaded not guilty to concealing a serious crime committed by another person — the sexual abuse of children by paedophile priest James Fletcher in the Seventies.

Mr Stone told the court that Wilson had concealed the abuse of two altar boys by Fletcher in the Hunter Valley region by failing to report the allegations to police. The judge said he was satisfied that altar boy Peter Creigh had been a “truthful and reliable” witness.

The archbishop was released on bail until sentencing on June 9. Wilson, who is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease but maintains that medication has helped his memory, told the court he could not remember Mr Creigh and another altar boy telling him in 1976 that they were abused by Fletcher. The prosecution said Wilson failed to give details to police about a serious crime after Fletcher was arrested in 2004 and went on trial for preying on another boy.

Fletcher was found guilty of nine counts of child sexual abuse and died in prison of a stroke in 2006.

Mr Creigh said he had trusted that Wilson, then an assistant priest, would take action after being told Fletcher had repeatedly abused him in 1971 when he was 10. Mr Creigh said Wilson had a “look of horror” but failed to act.

The other former altar boy said he was 11 in 1976 when he told Wilson in confession that Fletcher had abused him. He said Wilson refused to believe him because Fletcher “was a good bloke” and ordered him to get out of the confessional box and say 10 Hail Mary as an act of contrition.

In a statement issued by the Catholic Church, Wilson said he was disappointed by the conviction. “I will now have to consider the reasons and consult closely with my lawyers to determine the next steps,” he said.