Fire Archbishop Convicted Of Hiding Child Sex Abuse: Australian PM Turnbull To Vatican

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has asked the Pope to dismiss a Catholic archbishop who was found guilty of hiding child sexual abuse, reports The Wall Street Journal. Sixty seven-year old Archbishop Philip Wilson was convicted of the crime but has refused to resign from his position amidst calls for his departure.

Wilson was convicted of hiding sexual abuse perpetrated by another Catholic priest James Patrick Fletcher in the 1970s. Fletcher died in prison in 2006. Wilson has been sentenced to a year in prison but has announced his intentions to file an appeal, reports The Guardian.

Cases of sexual abuse of minors by Christian priests is on the rise across the globe, including India.

Turnbull’s intervention in the matter is considered among the strongest on the matter, with the last well known instance being that of Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny’s in 2011 when he told the parliament that the investigation into the matter was a case of dysfunction and elitism that were part of the Vatican’s culture. While the Vatican rejected Kenny’s accusations, Irish lawmakers passed a motion holding the Vatican responsible for undermining the sovereign state’s efforts to protect children.