The former cleric resigned earlier this month.
Philip Wilson – the former Archbishop of Adelaide – has been spared jail time for the part he played in a clerical abuse cover-up back in the ’70s and has been ordered to serve his sentence at home.
The 67-year-old was convicted back in May of failing to disclose details of abuse performed by another priest to police after being informed of it in 1976 by two separate victims.
On 3 July of this year, Wilson was sentenced to 12 months detention, eligible for parole after 6 months.
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of his post some two weeks ago, following a case which saw an Australian court finding him guilty of perverting the courts of justice.
The Adelaide-based cleric, who is suffering from the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, told the court that he couldn’t remember being told about the abuse.
Wilson has since been on bail, but Tuesday morning saw magistrate Robert Stone decide that he will indeed not spend time behind bars, due to his age and prior good record being taken into account.
However, he will have to wear a tracking device while serving his sentence.
The priests who abused a number of children in acts concealed by Wilson were Father Denis McAlinden the late James Fletcher.
Fletcher faced nine counts of sexual assault against boys as young as twelve and was found guilty of his crimes and sentenced to at least seven years in prison with no parole.
The former archbishop was met by angry protesters outside the courthouse, including some of Fletcher’s victims.
“I haven’t got time for rubbish like you,” an abuse victim shouted at Wilson on hearing the news that the cleric was handed home detention.
Disgraced former Catholic archbishop Philip Wilson will be serving time in the comfort of his sister’s house, after a Newcastle Magistrate this morning said he could serve his sentence in home detention instead of prison. @Lachlan_Kennedy reports. #TenNews pic.twitter.com/ff61L19oeM
— 10 News First Sydney (@10NewsFirstSyd) August 14, 2018
Wilson will now serve out his sentence in his sister’s house. He is the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of this crime.
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