British queen's representative accused of sex abuse 'cover-up'

Australian child protection activists today called on the British queen’s representative to resign over an alleged cover-up of sexual abuse at a girls’ school a decade ago.

Governor-General Dr Peter Hollingworth, who performs the functions of head of Australian state on behalf of the British queen, issued a statement last night defending his actions as Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane when the sexual abuse surfaced at a school in his diocese in late 1990.

Earlier this week child protection groups and senior state and federal political figures demanded a response from Hollingworth over the alleged cover-up at Toowoomba Preparatory School near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland state.

The demands for an explanation followed a court order earlier this month that the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane pay damages of Aus$834,800 to a 24-year-old woman sexually abused 11 years ago by a former boarding master at the school.

The church has maintained it knew nothing about the activities of Kevin George Guy until he committed suicide in 1990 after police charged him for sexually abusing a girl in his care.

Guy left a suicide note saying he had ‘‘loved’’ 20 girls at the school.

Hollingworth, who took over as Australia’s putative head of state in June, broke his silence as reports surfaced of a second woman, aged 24, also suing the church.

Hollingworth said he had visited the school for its speech day, the same day police were informed about Guy, but knew nothing of the matter until Guy was charged three days later.

He denied a cover-up by the church, but conceded he had received legal advice not to make any admissions in relation to the matter.

‘‘I am sorry that legal and insurance considerations to some extent inhibited our taking a more active role and more overtly expressing the church’s concern for the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare of those affected by the actions of Mr Guy,’’ Hollingworth’s statement said.

Former deputy head of the diocese’s sexual abuse committee, David Axted, called on Hollingworth to resign as governor-general, saying he had failed to support sex abuse victims.

‘‘He is tainting the office (of governor-general) by staying,’’ Axted said.

Prime Minister John Howard, who put forward Hollingworth’s name to the British queen earlier this year as his nomination for governor-general, has made no public comment.

Child protection advocate Hetty Johnston said victims of child abuse would be angry over Hollingworth’s statement that he was hamstrung by diocese insurance obligations.

‘‘We say: ’Well, what was it? The money or the children?’ It should have been the children,’’ Johnston said.