Former Adelaide Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson child sex abuse conviction quashed

Former Adelaide Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson will walk free today after his conviction of covering up child sex abuse was quashed.

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson was sentenced to 6 months home detention today at Newcastle local court after concealing sex abuse by a priest decades ago in NSW. Picture: Adam Taylor

Philip Wilson, the former Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, has had his criminal conviction of covering up child sex abuse quashed on appeal.

The former archbishop appealed the conviction with Judge Roy Ellis handing down his decision at Newcastle District Court.

Mr Wilson — who will walk free today — was sentenced to home detention in May for the now quashed conviction.

The 68-year-old was previously accused of failing to disclose allegations made about priest Jim Fletcher between 2004 and 2006 to police.

Fletcher was later found guilty of indecently assaulting teenage altar boys in the Hunter Valley, crimes that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.

Fletcher was charged in the 1990s and sentenced in 2004 but died two years into his jail time.

Mr Wilson resigned from his post as Adelaide’s Archbishop in July, almost a month after his now quashed conviction of covering up the sexual abuse.

At the time of his resignation, the former archbishop said he had been waiting for the appeal process to be completed but was worried about the “growing level of hurt” he was causing.

“On July 20, I submitted to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, my resignation from the position of Archbishop of Adelaide,” Archbishop Wilson said in a statement in July.

“I have now been informed that His Holiness has accepted my resignation.

“Though my resignation was not requested, I made this decision because I have become increasingly worried at the growing level of hurt that my recent conviction has caused within the community.

“I had hoped to defer this decision until after the appeal process had been completed. However, there is just too much pain and distress being caused by my maintaining the office of Archbishop of Adelaide, especially to the victims of Fr Fletcher. I must end this and therefore have decided that my resignation is the only appropriate step to take in the circumstances.”

Mr Wilson’s conviction was an historic one after he became the Catholic Church’s most senior clergyman to be found guilty of concealing child sex abuse.

More to come