Former governor-general Peter Hollingworth has been found to have made errors

Former Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Peter Hollingworth made mistakes in handling sex abuse allegations in the 1990s, a new report has found.

Former governor-general Peter Hollingworth will not be defrocked despite an inquiry finding he made mistakes when child sex abuse allegations were presented to him when he was an archbishop 30 years ago.

The now 88-year-old has apologised for his failures – which included blaming one of the victims on national television – following the release of the Professional Standards Board for the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne report.

The church’s special independent investigator, Kooyoora, held a private four-day hearing into the issue in February.

Dr Hollingworth was the was Archbishop of Brisbane in the 1990s when he failed to respond to sexual abuse allegations priests and Anglican school teachers, dating back to the 1960s.

“I made mistakes and I cannot undo them,” Dr Hollingworth said in a statement on Monday after the report was released.

“Hardly a day has passed in the past 30 years when I have not reflected on these matters and my failings.”

He said he accepted the board’s recommendations, which will allow him to continue clerical duties, but he laid some of the blame for his failures on legal advice.

“I had devoted my life to social justice, pastoral care and healing but I had little experience in dealing with the child abuse issues,” he said.

“Like other church leaders, I was unduly influenced by the advice of lawyers and insurance companies.”

Peter Hollingworth has been reprimanded for his response to child sex allegations at an Anglican school in the 1990s. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

The Professional Standards Board dismissed three allegations of misconduct and held up six others.

The board found Dr Hollingworth had committed misconduct in most of the allegations it examined, but has not recommended he be stripped of his clerical duties.

“That there will be no unacceptable risk of harm to any person if the respondent continues to hold the role, office or position he currently holds.’’

It recommended that Dr Hollingworth be reprimanded over two matters and for “some insensitivity and harsh communications on some matters”.

“The board is not recommending I lose any rights to my ordained ministry or permission to officiate and there is a recommendation that I again apologise to certain individuals,” Dr Hollingworth said.

“I accept the board’s recommendations and look forward to these matters finally being put to rest.”

Koorooya held a private four-day hearing which wrapped up in February following a more than five-year investigation.

The scandal of his handling of the allegations also led to his force resignation as governor-general of Australia in 2003.