Arrr! Hillsong Church cap'n Brian Houston be not guilty of neglectin' to report his sire's vile deeds on wee ones!
2023-08-17
Arrr, landlubbers! The scallywag known as Brian Houston, former swashbucklin' pastor of Hillsong Church, be cleared of any wrongdoin' for keepin' mum 'bout his father's despicable deeds. Them lawmen couldn't pin a crime on 'im, savin' him from walkin' the plank! Yo ho ho, justice be a tricky sea indeed!
In a surprising verdict, Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston was found not guilty in an Australian courtroom of not reporting his father's sexual abuse of children. Houston, a former senior pastor of the renowned megachurch, was charged with concealing a serious offense, but the magistrate ruled that he had a reasonable excuse for not notifying the police. The case dated back to 1999 when Houston first became aware of his father's abuse of a 7-year-old boy. He shared this information with church leaders but not with the authorities. The prosecutor argued that this was intentional to protect the church and his father, but the magistrate found that proving this claim beyond reasonable doubt was a tall order. Houston expressed empathy for his father's victims but maintained his own innocence. The victim criticized the verdict, considering it victim-blaming. The scandal rocked Christianity communities worldwide and had an impact on Hillsong's locations in the United States. Houston resigned from the church in 2022 amid allegations of inappropriate behavior toward two women. The resignation came after the Hillsong Global Board investigated the accusations. Frank Houston, Brian Houston's father, died in 2004 without being charged. If convicted, Brian Houston could have faced up to 5 years in prison.