Australian bishop says he was abused by clergy as an adult

The Bishop of Parramatta has said that as an adult he suffered sexual abuse by members of the clergy. Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen made the admission at a royal commission hearing in Sydney.

“I was also a victim of sexual abuse by clergy when I first came to Australia, even though I was an adult,” he told the royal commission investigating institutional responses to child sexual abuse.

“That had a powerful impact on me and how I want to… walk in the shoes of other victims and really endeavour to attain justice and dignity for them.”

Speaking on Tuesday, the bishop said the Church should consider removing honorifics from priests found guilty of abuse. He added that titles and privileges “breed clerical superiority and elitism”.

He said he was doing “everything in his power” to achieve justice for victims of abuse in his diocese.

“How can I look at these victims in the eyes and say I share your pain, I share your suffering without doing everything in my power to bring about justice, dignity and healing for them?” he said.