Child sex abuse in Maitland church goes without investigation
A Youth Group Leader at the Maitland Evangelical Church took his own life in 2022 on the same day he was reported to the Police for child sexual abuse. Matthew Briggs’ victims ranged in age from seven to fourteen years of age, but no investigation was possible due to his death. Briggs hosted children’s sleepovers for the church congregation, was a volunteer netball coach, and a volunteer at a local cinema, with extensive access to unsupervised children.
A complaint by a concerned father, Mr Phil Bear, to the Office of the Children’s Guardian regarding a separate child abuse incident in the same youth group as Briggs was not investigated and the father was never contacted by the Office.
Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson Sue Higginson said:
“The police investigation of Matthew Briggs for child sexual abuse ended before it could begin because he took his own life, but the harm to victim survivors, their loved ones and the community did not end. The lack of public reporting, and failure of the Maitland Evangelical Church leadership to alert their congregation, means that many families might remain completely unaware that their children were left unsupervised with a person who committed abhorrent offences against children,”
“We are less than 8 years since the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse submitted its final report, but institutions are still failing to protect children. It’s unfathomable that some institutions are capable of protecting pedophiles and predators for their own interests. They have clearly failed to reckon with their obligations to keep children and young people safe and they need to be called out,”
“I was shocked to learn that when Phil Bear, a concerned father, contacted the Office of the Children’s Guardian, he was met with months of silence. This is the independent office that was established explicitly to protect children. It’s only because of the dedicated work of three people that any response was received, and then, they were told that nothing could be done,”
“We can not allow people in trusted positions and powerful institutions to sweep such serious conduct under the rug and sexual abuse of children to continue or go unaccounted for. At this moment, a whistle blower father has been targeted by individuals in the Maitland Evangelical Church, those individuals have allegedly failed in their legally required reporting duties, and the independent office established to protect children has failed in their responsibilities. This perpetuation of injustice is intolerable,”
“I have put these matters to the Parliament because these conversations must be held in the light of day, and the protection of children is paramount. I thank Phil Bear, Peter O’Brien, and Pastor Bob Cotton for the work they have done, and their advocacy for children. Without people like them, abuse of children in religious institutions would continue, and the spiritual bullying of people of faith would be invisible,” Ms Higginson said.