ANGLICAN Bishop of Newcastle Brian Farran has announced he will defrock three priests including former Dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence.
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The bishop will remove the holy orders of Reverend Lawrence, Reverend Bruce Hoare and Reverend Andrew Duncan after professional standards board hearings in late 2010.
The bishop has also placed Cardiff priest Graeme Sturt on a prohibition order preventing him from performing any functions of a clergyman for five years.
The move confirms a report published exclusively in today’s Newcastle Herald.
In a statement released at 1.30pm today, diocese professional standards director Michael Elliott said former Anglican school teacher Gregory Goyette would not be able to hold a position in the church in future.
The bishop’s announcements were in line with recommendations from the professional standards board after hearings into sexual misconduct allegations.
* NEWCASTLE detectives are investigating allegations of sexual misconduct involving a number of Anglican clergy from the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Acting Inspector Jeff Little said a brief of evidence would be prepared and submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in coming months.
Anglican bishop set to defrock ex-dean
NEWCASTLE Anglican Bishop Brian Farran will defrock former dean of Newcastle Graeme Lawrence over what the church alleges was sexual misconduct.
The bishop is expected to make a formal announcement today that Reverend Lawrence will be stripped of Holy Orders after 39 years as a priest, in line with a diocese professional standards board recommendation.
The bishop is also expected to announce how he will respond to board recommendations about three other priests and a former Anglican school teacher.
The decisions follow months of deliberation by the bishop, and a meeting in a regional NSW town on Friday to tell an alleged victim he would take the defrocking action.
It comes after a NSW Supreme Court judge rejected Reverend Lawrence’s case that he suffered ‘‘extreme’’ prejudice when lurid accounts of group sex with a 19-year-old were presented to the professional standards board in late 2010.
The board found the alleged victim, known as Mr M, was a ‘‘witness of truth’’ in his evidence to a board hearing about an alleged incident at a Narrandera motel during a 1984 Anglican seminar.
Reverend Lawrence, the other priests and lay teacher denied the allegations. The matter was referred to police who investigated, but did not take action.
The diocese dealt with the matter at controversial professional standards board hearings in 2010 that found there had been breaches of pastoral care.
In its findings the board said Reverend Lawrence’s denial of the sexual misconduct allegations meant the board was ‘‘not entitled to extend any leniency’’ in its recommendation to Bishop Farran about stripping the former dean of Holy Orders.
‘‘We are aware of the damage to families that occurs when conduct of this type is unchecked,’’ board president and former NSW magistrate Colin Elliott said.
Mr M alleged Reverend Lawrence ‘‘came looking for me’’.
Telling his family about the abuse allegations, and reporting it to the diocese and police were difficult decisions, he said.
‘‘I got through it because I had people to support me,’’ he said.
Reverend Lawrence confirmed he had been asked to attend a meeting with the bishop today, but he would not be attending.
Insurers for the diocese sent a legal bill of $750,000 to Reverend Lawrence and another priest in August after the failed Supreme Court challenge, in addition to their $250,000 defence bill.
The diocese did not respond to a request for comment.
