BY not acting on a letter revealing horrific abuse at the hands of an Anglican Church clergyman, Philip Gerber admits he may have put other vulnerable children at risk.
Pressed before a royal commission on why he did not look up the offending cleric, the former professional standards director said the alleged perpetrator had a common surname - Brown.
It is in retrospect that Mr Gerber has admitted his oversight and expressed remorse at not referring the 2005 letter detailing physical and sexual abuse to police.
The letter was from Richard "Tommy" Campion, a survivor of abuse at the North Coast Children's Home at Lismore in NSW.
The Royal Commission into Institutionalised Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining the Anglican Diocese of Grafton's response to abuse at the Anglican-owned home.
At a hearing in Sydney on Thursday, the commission heard Mr Gerber, former standards director for Sydney, Grafton and Newcastle dioceses, saw Mr Campion's letter in August, 2005.
In it, Mr Campion named the clergyman - "Reverend Brown" - who took advantage of him in the minister's residence and in the children's home.
Counsel assisting the commission Simeon Beckett put it to Mr Gerber that from the letter he had an alleged perpetrator, the victim's name and contact details.
Mr Gerber agreed he had a duty to go to police with abuse allegations but couldn't say why he didn't.
Pressed on why he did not search the Anglican directory for the alleged offender, Mr Gerber said Brown was not an uncommon name.
"There was not any first name given or anything," he offered.
But it wouldn't have taken much research to find his name, Mr Beckett suggested.
Mr Gerber admitted his failings and said he was not trying to defend himself.
"I am very unhappy with myself, I didn't take the sort of steps that you are talking about," Mr Gerber told Mr Beckett.
"... and am quite embarrassed and apologise that it might have potentially put other people at risk, children and other vulnerable people at risk."
More than a year later Mr Campion's complaints were forwarded to police.
The clergyman Campbell Brown was stripped of his licence to officiate at church in June this year.
The commission also heard convicted pedophile Reverend Allan Kitchingman was allowed to lay claim to his "Rev" honorific despite being convicted of indecent assault.
Kitchingman, who assaulted a 13-year-old boy in 1975 while chaplain at the North Coast Children's Home, did not face disciplinary action from the Anglican Church once he finished his jail sentence.
"You didn't consider that there was a particular danger to that in terms of both the reputation of the Anglican Church but also in terms of those people who would come in contact with him?" Mr Beckett put to Mr Gerber.
Mr Gerber agreed.
"I'm very regretful of that and in retrospect, looking back certainly if it had been a Sydney person I would have acted decisively," he said.
The hearing continues.
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