Brian Houston never attempted to “cover up” his father’s paedophilia, instead immediately reporting his father’s confession to church leaders and banning him from preaching, Houston’s lawyer has told a Sydney court.
And by not reporting his father’s offending to police, Brian Houston was upholding the express wishes of his father’s victim who was repeatedly raped as a boy by Frank Houston, but did not want the matter pursued by “secular authorities”.
Brian Houston, the founding pastor of the Hillsong church, is on trial for one count of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person by not reporting to police his father’s confession to repeatedly sexually assaulting and raping a young boy who was a member of his church. Brian Houston has pleaded not guilty.
Frank Houston died in 2004. When he confessed his offending to his son in 1999, Brian Houston reported it to senior members of the church but not to police.
Prosecutors have argued Houston did not go to police in order to protect his father’s reputation and that of their church.
But Brian Houston has consistently maintained that Brett Sengstock, who had been assaulted and raped by his father and who has chosen to waive his right to anonymity, was adamant he did not want the offending reported to police.
Giving evidence last year, Brian Houston said: “What I was committed to was [Sengstock’s] wishes, not betraying him and his wishes.”
In closing submissions on Friday, Brian Houston’s lawyer, Phillip Boulten SC, told Sydney’s Downing Centre court there was consistent and reliable evidence that Sengstock did not want the offending reported to police.
Boulten said Brian Houston held a genuine “belief, on reasonable grounds” that Sengstock did not want the matter reported.
“Brett Sengstock did not want the matter taken to police,” Boulten told the court earlier in closing submissions.
“He did not want any civil or criminal action against Frank Houston. He never reported the matter to police.”
Section 316 of the NSW Crimes Act states a person has a “reasonable excuse” for not reporting their knowledge of a serious crime if “the person believes on reasonable grounds that the alleged victim does not wish the information to be reported to police”.
Boulten told the court on Friday that Sengstock had been consistent in his position: “He never wavered in his determination not to cooperate with the church or with any police investigation.
“Your honour has a duty, we say, to find Mr Houston not guilty.”
Boulten said there was no attempt by Brian Houston to “cover up” his father’s offending.
Brian Houston preached at a Hillsong conference in 2002, in front of thousands of parishioners, that he had confronted his father over “the accusation”, and that his father had made “certain confessions”. He did not, in the sermon he delivered, specify the nature of the offending.
Sengstock gave evidence in the trial, telling the court he never said he did not want Frank Houston’s crimes reported to police, and believes the church “bought” his silence by giving him $10,000, a payout agreed with his signature on a blank napkin, secured at a meeting at a suburban McDonald’s restaurant.
Sengstock told the court he felt judged by fellow parishioners, and pressure from them to keep the matter within the church.
A church leader wrote to him, saying “the secular courts are not the way to go”, and telling him he would “get a fair hearing” within the church. He said he had felt unable to speak out against the institution which had dominated his life: “I was in the moral and spiritual control of Frank and the church.”
In court, Sengstock was asked directly why he didn’t report his abuse to police.
He replied: “Quite frankly it was because I was paid for my silence.”
But Boulten said Sengstock’s evidence before court was unreliable. He had made errors with dates, and over matters of fact, such as what type of car Frank Houston drove, Boulten said.
“Brett Sengstock is confused and he’s got things wrong,” Boulten told court. “There are problems with his reliability.”
The New Zealand-born pentecostal Christian pastor Frank Houston was a “serial paedophile”, according to his son. He founded the Sydney Christian Life Centre in 1977.
Brian Houston, and Brian’s wife, Bobbie, founded the Hills Christian Life Centre in 1983. In 2001 that church merged with the inner-Sydney parishes founded by his father to become the Hillsong megachurch.
The Pentecostal and evangelical organisation has since grown to become a global megachurch with places of worship in 30 countries.
Closing submissions finished Friday afternoon. Magistrate Gareth Christofi will deliver a judgment on 17 August.
In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
