The Press
May 22 2004

Victim calls on church to lift veil

The woman who sparked an Anglican Church sexual abuse inquiry is disappointed a settlement reached with victims will remain confidential.

In 2001 Christchurch woman Louise Deans released the book Whistleblower detailing allegations she and other trainee ministers were abused by priest Rob McCullough in the 1970s and 1980s.

Deans and four other women told the church of the allegations in 1989.

Last year Deans and two other women reached a settlement on their claims with the church and received payouts of between $8000 and $30,000 each.

On Tuesday the church said it had made a confidential settlement with other women who were sexually abused by a priest.

The church refused to confirm if the settlement involved McCullough.

Deans said it was unfortunate the settlement had been made behind "closed doors".

"The church is a public institution and it needs transparency to be accountable," Deans said.

"It remains a sealed place."

She said other organisations such as the Catholic Church, the medical council and the law society had begun to open their proceedings to the public.

McCullough declined to comment yesterday.

The Anglican Bishop of Christchurch, David Coles, said as far as he knew Tuesday's settlement was the end of claims for sexual abuse against the church originating in Canterbury.

The church said it had addressed "longstanding" abuse committed by an Anglican priest in Christchurch and Auckland "in a spirit of justice and concern for the pain it caused".