Adelaide Archbishop, Philip Wilson has been sentenced to 12 months detention for covering up child sex abuse within the church.
It comes after the former Hunter Priest was found guilty of failing to report the repeated abuse of two alter boys by paedophile priest Jim Fletcher in the 1970s.
Wilson’s defence barrister argued in court today, that Wilson’s health, age, and threat from other prisoners could put his life at risk.
However the Magistrate in Newcastle Court largely dismissed those concerns as ‘hypothetical’, pointing out he was healthy enough to serve as the Archbishop of Adelaide in the interim.
The Magistrate ordered Wilson serve a minimum of 6 months and be assessed for home detention, saying the sentence was a balance of deterrence, to prevent re-offending, and to show the community that covering up abuse would not be tolerated.
Following his sentencing, Wilson refused to confirm whether he’ll officially resign as the Archbishop of Adelaide.