Aug 16, 2018

Former Salvation Army chaplain found guilty on 18 sex offences

The 86-year-old’s victims were all connected to the Salvation Army in some respect, and the ­offences occurred where he was posted around NSW.

SAM BUCKINGHAM-JONES
The Australian
August 7, 2018

The father of a senior Australian international Salvation Army ­officer has been found guilty in the NSW District Court of 18 historic sexual assault charges, some committed against children as young as four, after two separate trials spanning six weeks.

Former Salvation Army chaplain Raymond Maurice Pethybridge was taken into custody last week after a jury found him guilty of five counts in one trial — against adult victims — and 13 counts in the other, against children. The ­offences took place between 1958 and 1987.
The 86-year-old’s victims were all connected to the Salvation Army in some respect, and the ­offences occurred where he was posted around NSW, including Wallsend, Sydney, and Orange.

The child victims were aged between four and 11, and assaults took place in a swimming pool, a car, a child’s room and a Salvation Army prayer meeting, among other places.

As the offences took place between the 1950s and the 80s, Pethy­bridge was charged with ­offences as they were at the time.

For his child victims, Pethybridge was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, one count of sexual intercourse with a person under 16, indecent assault against a person under his authority, two counts of sexual intercourse with a person under 16, and eight counts of assaulting a female under 16 and committing an act of indecency. For his adult victims, he was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and committing an act of indecency, and three counts of assaulting a female and committing an act of indecency.

The charges came after an investigation by Strike Force Bulwer, which was created in May 2014 by officers from Surry Hills Police Area Command and was led by now-Detective Acting Inspector Paul Grace.

“I won’t comment specifically on this matter prior to sentencing, but in general terms, convictions are important for victims who have lived for so many years with the impact of abuse and betrayal by persons in positions of trust,” Inspector Grace said.

“The road to recovery is long and hard. Being believed and receiving justice through a conviction can be an important part of this process.”

Pethybridge’s son, Lieutenant Colonel Kelvin Pethybridge, was appointed chief secretary in charge of the church across NSW, Queensland and the ACT. Earlier this year he was moved to the Salvation Army’s Eastern European division based in Moldova.

According to the Salvation Army’s Others magazine from January, lieutenant colonels Kelvin and Cheralynne Pethybridge, both officers for 35 years, were looking forward to their “adventure” in Eastern Europe.

Salvation Army spokesman Steve Speziale said Pethybridge did not receive support, “financial or otherwise”, related to the trial.

“The Salvation Army will withhold comment until after the court passes sentence,” he said.

Pethybridge will face a sentencing hearing in the NSW District Court on August 31. The Salvation Army was the subject of three case studies by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, one for the Eastern Territory, one for the Southern Territory and one for ­institutional responses to abuse.

According to the royal commission’s final report, there were 294 survivors of abuse in Salvation Army institutions and the average age for their first abuse was 10.3 years.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/former-salvation-army-chaplain-found-guilty-on-18-sex-offences/news-story/6dc00c374d1cbaeeca15bb8bb812f4bf

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