Catholic archbishop granted second appeal

A Catholic archbishop accused of concealing information relating to child sex abuse will be allowed to again appeal over a decision not to halt proceedings.

Adelaide's Catholic archbishop will be allowed to once again appeal over a decision not to halt criminal proceedings relating to the alleged concealment of child sex assault.

NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Lloyd Babb SC on Tuesday argued another appeal by Archbishop Philip Wilson would have little chance of success.

But Court of Appeal judges Justice Carolyn Simpson and Justice Arthur Emmett granted permission for an appeal to be heard in front of a full panel of judges.

Archbishop Wilson, who is believed to be the world's most senior Catholic charged with such offences, is accused of concealing information relevant to the 1971 sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy by deceased pedophile priest James Fletcher in Maitland.

He unsuccessfully took his bid to have the charges halted to the Supreme Court in 2016 after a magistrate refused to quash or permanently stay the proceedings.


1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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