Newcastle District Court judge Roy Ellis quashed former Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson’s July conviction for having "covered up" sexual abuses.
This conviction has put in question the soundness of the legal system in Australia. The innocent archbishop has already served almost four months in home detention at his sister’s home. He was forced to resign as Adelaide archbishop in July.
The prosecution had claimed that a 26-year-old Father Wilson was told by two altar boys in 1976 that they’d been abused by former priest James Fletcher but Wilson "did nothing" about it.
One of Wilson’s false accusers, Peter Creigh, was in tears after the judge had exposed his lies. Creigh should be prosecuted for defamation.
The case against Wilson was circumstantial. There was no evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt he was told about the abuse, believed it was true or remembered being told about it.
Judge Ellis repeatedly stated during the appeal that Wilson was an intelligent, articulate man who appeared to be doing his best to answer questions put to him during the trial.
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