A church official in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia who exposed the child sex abuse cover-ups in an Anglican diocese has disclosed that he has been subjected to attacks by unidentified vandals.
Director Michael Elliott of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle professional standards board on Thursday testified before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that he had to transfer residences several times because of the attacks.
He said spiked objects were placed under his car, the fly screens were removed from his children's bedrooms and his dog is now missing, according to News.com.au.
Elliott told the Royal Commission, which is investigating the child sex abuse scandal, that the diocese made a move to undermine the board as it began investigating the case against four clerics and a teacher.
"During one particular period there were pot plants that were tipped over at my house when I was at work and washing pulled from the clothesline and strewn around the yard," he told the commission, adding that his car was vandalised about 20 times.
He also received "harassing telephone calls and texts" that he believed were "linked to my work within the diocese."
Elliott told the commission that there was a move by the diocese to curtail the board's powers when it started probing the case of child sex abuse survivor named CKH, who was allegedly groomed for sex by priest Andrew Duncan in 1980 when he was just 14
CKH also allegedly had sex with Graeme Lawrence, who became the dean of Newscastle Cathedral, and priests Bruce Hoare and Graeme Sturt.
CKH on Tuesday claimed Lawrence's partner, Greg Goyette, also had sex with him, according to The Guardian.
Lawrence's barrister, Philip Massey, asked CKH, "I suggest to you that, in fact, Mr. Lawrence never had a sexual relationship with you in any form. What do you say about that?"
"No. I have come here to speak the truth. It is the truth, and I feel I have been very brave to speak out about what Lawrence did to me," said CKH.
Lawrence, Hoare and Duncan were defrocked while Sturt was banned from practicing priesthood for five years.
