Australian Story: Beth Heinrich (ABC TV Monday 8 May 2023)

Published

5 months ago

May 6, 2023

Australian Story: Beth Heinrich airs Monday 8 May on ABC TV.

The experiences of Beth Heinrich’s adolescence profoundly altered the course of her life.

She is still fighting for fair treatment within the Anglican Church, even though she is now in her 80s.

In the 1950s, Heinrich was sexually abused by Donald Shearman, an Anglican priest. Shearman was defrocked from the Anglican clergy and Beth received a settlement from the church.

Heinrich is still bitter about how Dr. Peter Hollingworth, then Archbishop of Brisbane, handled her initial abuse complaint and how he publicly spoke about her.

At a recent hearing of the Melbourne Anglican Professional Standards Board, which looked into Dr. Hollingworth’s handling of complaints from survivors in the 1990s, she read aloud her victim impact statement.

In a saga that has spanned decades, this is the most recent development.

In 2002, Australian Story featured an interview with then-Governor-General Hollingworth in which Heinrich’s story was briefly mentioned. His remarks about her sparked a lively online discussion.

Fifteen months later, he resigned from his position as viceroy.

In 2005, she shared her experiences in Australian Story.

Beth Heinrich now believes she must continue to hold the church accountable.

“I feel this is my chance to speak up”, she says from her home in regional Victoria. “It’s an example for others and hopefully it will give them strength to keep at it.”   

The 80-year-old retired bishop Peter Hollingworth apologised for his handling of Beth’s complaint, saying, “I made mistakes,” but that he would never blame a child for sexual abuse.

Producer: Belinda Hawkins.

Australian Story: Beth Heinrich airs Monday 8 May 2023 at 8.00pm on ABC TV.