Calls for Queen's man to quit

There were growing calls today for the Queen's representative in Australia, Governor-General Dr Peter Hollingworth, to resign over his role in a child sex abuse scandal.

Child welfare advocates have called on Dr Hollingworth to step down because they say he did not do enough to prevent abuse of children at a prep school in Queensland when he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane more than a decade ago.

In a two-page statement, after total silence on the issue, Dr Hollingworth rejected allegations of a cover-up over alleged abuse at the school.

Dr Hollingworth had been under pressure to explain his actions since a Supreme Court jury earlier this month ordered the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane to pay more than £300,000 damages to a former female student at the school who was sexually abused by a boarding master.

This week a second victim launched similar proceedings.

Dr Hollingworth said he followed the advice of Brisbane diocese officials not to prejudice legal advice.