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| Church accused of abuse cover-up | Church accused of abuse cover-up |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Church of England has been accused of covering up child sex abuse carried out by a former choirmaster. | The Church of England has been accused of covering up child sex abuse carried out by a former choirmaster. |
| Peter Halliday will be sentenced after pleading guilty to sexually abusing boys in Hampshire in the late 1980s. | Peter Halliday will be sentenced after pleading guilty to sexually abusing boys in Hampshire in the late 1980s. |
| BBC News has learned he admitted to the offences 17 years ago but left the Church quietly on condition he had no more contact with children. | BBC News has learned he admitted to the offences 17 years ago but left the Church quietly on condition he had no more contact with children. |
| The bishop who dealt with the case told BBC News it would have been dealt with differently if it had happened today. | The bishop who dealt with the case told BBC News it would have been dealt with differently if it had happened today. |
| Dormitory abuse | |
| In 1990 a young chorister at St Peter's Church, Farnborough, told his parents his choirmaster had abused him repeatedly during a period of several years, and he was not the only victim. | In 1990 a young chorister at St Peter's Church, Farnborough, told his parents his choirmaster had abused him repeatedly during a period of several years, and he was not the only victim. |
| His parents told the vicar, who consulted the bishop - but rather than call the police the churchmen advised Halliday he should leave quietly and agree to have no more contact with young children. | His parents told the vicar, who consulted the bishop - but rather than call the police the churchmen advised Halliday he should leave quietly and agree to have no more contact with young children. |
| When your first sexual experience is a 40-year-old man forcing himself on you it's pretty horrific One of the boys Halliday abused | |
| One of the boys Halliday abused, who was 10 years old at the time, told BBC News: "It was both when I was alone with him and there were others there. | |
| "It happened in his house when I was alone with him having individual tuition, but it also happened on trips. It even happened when I was in dormitories with other boys. | |
| "I was horrified. When your first sexual experience is a 40-year-old man forcing himself on you it's pretty horrific." | |
| Terrified victim | |
| He thought he had escaped Halliday when the choirmaster left his job in 1990, but he met him again in 1993 on a residential music course where young choirboys were staying. | |
| The victim said: "I went on a residential course and he was there and obviously it was pretty horrific to see him again. | |
| Things were very different then Bishop David Wilcox | Things were very different then Bishop David Wilcox |
| "I was just aghast to see him there. Younger brothers of friends of mine were there. Other friends were there. I was scared for myself but also terrified for them." | |
| The bishop, David Wilcox, said they had sought to act in the best interests not only of the Church but of the family and everybody concerned at the time. | |
| He told BBC News: "Things were very different then and I think that we make the mistake of trying to read back what we now know and how we would now do things. | |
| "I don't think we had that knowledge or that experience and I don't think the court systems and the police systems were geared up as they are today." | "I don't think we had that knowledge or that experience and I don't think the court systems and the police systems were geared up as they are today." |
| 'Robust policies' | |
| Halliday continued to work with young boys, as a singer with the Royal School of Church Music. | |
| It was only when Halliday was charged last year with indecently assaulting children that he gave up his work with the school. | It was only when Halliday was charged last year with indecently assaulting children that he gave up his work with the school. |
| They've always had this attitude of dealing with allegations internally The Reverend Pearl Luxon | |
| Church of England national safeguarding adviser, the Reverend Pearl Luxon, who is responsible for child protection issues, said the Church had "robust policies in place". | |
| She said: "In the past practices varied and we would not react in the way we would have appeared to have done then. | |
| "Police and social services would be told of the matters immediately nowadays if these things occurred. | |
| "These matters are always reviewed after they occur and we learn from our mistakes and our good practice is improved at all stages when these matters are looked at." | |
| 'Better systems' | |
| Child abuse lawyer Richard Scorer said things were improving in the Church. | |
| He said: "The Churches, both Catholic and Anglican, have not dealt well with child protection, certainly until very recent times. | |
| "They've always had this attitude of dealing with allegations internally. I think that is changing but it has been a problem for many years. | |
| He added: "Things are changing within the Churches in terms of child protection. Better systems are in place." | |
| In a statement, the Church of England said it was committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of the children within the Church community. |