Mother of priest's twins sues church

ABCNewsOnline/March 29, 2005

An Adelaide woman who alleges she was raped by an Anglican priest says she is speaking out because she feels the church is not admitting what it has done wrong in the past.

The woman, who is now aged 62 and wants to be known as Jess, is suing the church, claiming she was raped by Reverend Leonard Goggs, who died in 1979.

The church has acknowledged Reverend Goggs is the father of Jess's twin boys but she says it has not provided any money to help raise the children, who are now adults.

Jess says an apology is not good enough and the church should beg for her forgiveness.

"I allowed this person to have his life, his wife, his parish and allowed him to die in office in peace," she said.

"I had to live a double life. I had to battle to keep my children. I went without lots of things."

The administrator of the church's Adelaide diocese, John Collas, says the woman was the victim of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust.

He says the church is investigating the claim that she was raped.

Archdeacon Collas says any priest breaking professional boundaries in a similar manner today would be suspended from office.

He says the church has acknowledged that it failed victims of sexual abuse in the past and has pledged to do better.