Solid ground in inaction on child abuse for building name change at Churchie

Many victims of the offending staff have asked for Roberts' name to be removed from the new library.

The School Council and the Diocese have examined their records and agreed this is a reasonable and necessary step as part of their apology for past failings.

This is not the re-writing of history as alleged by retired journalist Geoffrey Luck in a recent article in Quadrant and reproduced in The Australian last weekend - it is setting the record straight after decades of giving victims who gave reported abuse the triple D treatment: deny (allegations), delay (legal proceedings), defend (court actions).

To its credit, the Diocese of Brisbane has removed the names of leaders from places of conspicuous honour in several of its schools.

The opening of the library is expected to go ahead despite threats by the son of Harry Roberts demanding his father's name be reinstated.

Simmering unrest over the past year erupted this month in a vitriolic attack on Archbishop Aspinall.

In a 23-page letter of demands and accusations sent to the Archbishop and copied to old boys and Churchie organisations, Mr Roberts accused the Archbishop of removing his father's name as a 'diversion' to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Mr Roberts presented what he claimed was new evidence and demanded that the Archbishop reverse his decision.

He also demanded that the Archbishop 'admonish' the School Council for supplying him with 'flawed advice' that led to his father's name being removed from the building.

In previous correspondence in March this year, Archbishop Aspinall told Mr Roberts that having considered carefully additional material previously provided, he concluded that the new information 'does not add greatly' to information before the Churchie Council.

Archbishop Aspinall justified the decision saying Dr Roberts' failure in allowing self-confessed pedophile Hamilton Leslie 'to leave as a respected teacher' amounted to a failure of leadership because Leslie 'had admitted to the criminal conduct' but was allowed 'to remain on site with boys at the school' until the end of the term.

Peter Roberts concluded his letter with a list of demands including that the Archbishop should restore his father's name to the new library and defer the building's opening so family memorabilia can be added to the building.

The new building will be officially opened by Queensland Governor and Churchie old boy Paul de Jersey, a former Chancellor of the Diocese of Brisbane.