Australia: Hollingworth leaves children's charity

Australian governor-general Peter Hollingworth, under fire for allegedly covering up child sex abuse while he was an Anglican archbishop, left a children’s welfare charity today.

Hollingworth has stepped down from Barnardos Australia, the charity confirmed.

Angela Crammond, chairman of Barnardos, said the board felt Hollingworth ‘‘did not have an enlightened and pro-active attitude towards sexual crimes against children’’.

’’For Dr Hollingworth to have continued as patron would therefore have been inconsistent with our commitment to the children we are working with today and the trust of clients, donors and other supporters,’’ Crammond said.

Hollingworth has been forced to resign as patron from a number of high-profile organisations since claims emerged earlier this year that he covered up or ignored cases of child abuse when he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.

He has so far rejected calls for him to resign as governor-general, a post which makes him Australia’s de-facto head of state.

Prime Minister John Howard, who hand-picked him for the vice-regal job, has also refused to fire him.