Australian archbishop to step down after sex abuse cover-up
Canberra, May 23: Australian Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson, who is convicted of concealing child sexual abuse, said on Wednesday he will step down from his position on Friday and if need be take even further formal steps.
The archbishop of Adelaide, was found guilty of covering up the crimes of a paedophile priest by a court on Tuesday.
Wilson, the most senior Catholic in the world to be convicted of the offence, said he would step aside from his duties on Friday. "It is appropriate that, in the light of some of... findings, I stand aside from my duties as Archbishop," the BBC quoted Wilson's statement as saying.
"If at any point in time it becomes necessary or appropriate for me to take more formal steps, including by resigning as Archbishop, then I will do so."
He, however, did not indicate whether he would appeal the Newcastle court's conviction, for which he faces a maximum two year sentence.
On Tuesday, the court ruled that Wilson had known about a paedophile priest's abuse of altar boys in the 1970s and failed to report the crimes to police.
A magistrate found that Wilson, who was told about the abuse from young victims, dismissed their stories because of his desire to protect the Church's reputation, the BBC said.
Child sexual abuse survivors in Australia have praised the verdict as a milestone in confirming the church's legal accountability for such crimes.
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Man held for attempting to encroach on 532 acres of forest, govt land near Bengaluru
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Tuesday said that police have arrested a man for allegedly attempting to encroach upon 532 acres of forest and government land at B M Kaval near Bengaluru by submitting forged documents and obtaining court orders fraudulently.
He said the accused, M B Manmatha alias M B Nemannagowda, had earlier also attempted to claim ownership over 512 acres and 26 guntas of forest and government land in Chikkamagaluru's Mudigere by producing fake records.
In connection with the case, an Assistant Conservator of Forests had lodged a complaint at the Mudigere Circle police station on November 28, following which the Tahsildar also lodged a separate complaint, the minister said in a statement issued by his office.
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Based on these complaints, police registered an FIR and have now taken Manmatha into custody. "The investigation will reveal who were all involved in this conspiracy to encroach upon forest and government land," he said.
The FIR was registered against the accused at Mudigere police station in Chikkamagaluru district on December 13 under Sections 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant section of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act.
Khandre further claimed that it had come to his notice that some officials and government advocates were directly or indirectly assisting those attempting to encroach upon government and forest land worth thousands of crores of rupees.
The minister said he has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a CID or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter.
Warning of strict action, the minister said no one attempting to grab forest land using forged documents would be spared and termed the development a "wake-up call".
