Victim of Hillsong Church founder's father says childhood was destroyed by sexual abuse

the enormous ly popular Hillsong Church proudly boasts it believes in people and their ability to influence the world with good it was founded by the telegenic and usually talkative Brian Houston but he didn't want anything to do with this story and that's because it's about evil the most unchristian behavior imaginable and his father Frank Houston he too was a high profile church leader but used his position and influence to abuse children one of his victims was Brett Sen stock who as a result of Frank Houston's depravity has endured a life of misery hiding in the shadows but not any longer my name is Brett sin stock I appeared the Royal Commission as IHI it was my pseudonym and I now I stand before you with who I really am it's taken a lifetime for Brits in stock to come forward to tell his story a lifetime of bruising battles and broken dreams I'm tired of people speaking for me and telling the world how I felt and how I'm feeling now I'm telling the world how I really do feel and how is that pretty annoyed pretty annoyed and not going away just yet [Music] supported by his wife Lisa and in a grueling fight against stage four cancer Bret is speaking out in the last-ditch bid for justice [Music] he's a great guy he's the love of my life what my husband tell justice he said he deserves it this is the story of the actions that protected the pedophile who abuse Britt the decisions taken by Brian Houston the founder and leader of the Hillsong Church and it makes some people out this angry decisions made while he was head of the Pentecostal movement the Assemblies of God in Australia the predator was his own father Frank Houston the high-profile pastor who used his position of power to sexually abuse young boys confess your sin to the Lord and he'll blot it out [Music] tell me about who you were before this happened to you what kind of little boy were you well summers most little kids love the beach a lot of water I was just a happy kid I love nature [Music] snapshots of Brett's childhood are contained in reels of home movies footage he's not seen since he was a young boy that's me they oh wow [Music] his family was keenly involved in the church as leader of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand Frank Houston was considered royalty [Music] so is that Frank that's Frank Houston is that how you remember him during his visits to Australia he would stay with the sin stocks and night after night he would sneak into seven-year-old Brett's bedroom to sexually abuse him I could not speak I couldn't scream I couldn't push back I just went rigid and I couldn't breathe I was petrified did he say anything to you you know you're my golden boy and you're special to me and all these sort of things which as an adult now I look back at it makes me want to vomit [Music] Frank's abuse continued until Brett was 12 terrified of telling his family he bottled it up finally at the age of 16 he told his mum her response was shattering [Music] she turn around said to me that you don't want to send people to Hill and stop sending him to the church her first reaction was that this would cause trouble yes for the church for the church 20 years later without his knowledge his mother suddenly revealed to the church what had happened to her son the matter was quietly dealt with Frank confessed and paid Breck twelve thousand dollars for his forgiveness but there was no apology and ultimately no justice I would have expected some godly assistance some some help maybe some counseling it's just like it's been brushed under the carpet [Music] confidential Church documents reveal that in 1999 Brian Houston became aware of the sins of his father by now he is head of the Assemblies of God and he and his executive are legally obliged to report Frank to the police but they didn't and it's clear that once they become aware of the extent of Frank's pedophilia they go out of their way to avoid Frank's crimes becoming common knowledge I spoken innuendo they spoken a roundabout ways so they told us something and told us nothing at the same time and if I knew then what I knew now I would have taken Frank Houston to the police myself [Music] Bob cotton is pastor of a small Pentecostal church in Maitland north of Sydney a church in which Frank Houston was a frequent visitor we should speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves right up until Frank's death in 2004 Bob cotton regarded him as his hero God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power but it wasn't until 2014 when he heard Brett's end stock tell his story to the Royal Commission into child sex abuse that he discovered Frank was a pedophile you were flattened Oh disgusted that could have been my child that could have been my son that could have been a child of somebody in my church feeling utterly betrayed Bob cotton set off on a mission to find out what else he hadn't been told our executive knew what Frank had done you did nothing to protect the innocent and did everything to protect their assets and cash of the institution and the reputation of Frank Houston coming up the explosive documents they look after themselves must protect themselves that reveal how the church covered up the abuse disgusting and the good Christian fighting for victims what's been done is wrong and I'm so sorry for what's happened that's next on 60 minutes [Music] when Brett's in stock revealed his story to the Royal Commission on child sex abuse Brian Houston found himself in the witness box the whole truth and nothing but the truth and nothing but the truth he told the commission that when he learned about his father's pedophilia in late 1999 he was in no doubt what that meant at that stage he certainly knew that there were very serious allegations had been made against your father yes I did and the allegations were likely to be criminal conduct of Lies I did I didn't have any doubt that it was criminal combat brought but Brian Houston took the view that it was up to Britt to report his abuser to the police rightly or wrongly I genuinely believed that I would be pre-empting the the victim if I were to just call the place at that point what the church did do was strip Frank Houston of his credentials and he retired on a pension but they never revealed the awful truth of Frank's crimes pretty well all started for me with this letter here dated the 24th of December 2001 the first Bob cotton knew of any kind of problem was when he received this confidential letter from the Assemblies of God revealing that Frank had been stood down by now the church hierarchy had known of Frank's pedophilia for two years what they described in the letter as a serious moral failure we're talking about child rape child rape it's a crime not a serious moral father this is a criminal act Bob cotton has since amassed a slew of other documents that paint a picture of a church executive determined to limit the damage December 1999 Brian Houston calls a crisis meeting about bread send stock it's agreed minutes will be kept confidential and on a special file a single act of sexual abuse more than thirty years ago November 2000 Brian Houston becomes aware of more victims a total of six specific allegations have been investigated December 2000 the church goes into damage control statement concerning Frank Houston it will only be used publicly if rumors become so extensive December 2001 pastors learn of Frank's serious moral failure and are urged to keep quiet we cannot see any reason for this to be announced to your church or further afield I can't see how they could escape the fact that they had a serial child sex offender that they knew that there was more than one victim they knew this was going to be a PR disaster I see it purely as an active of self-protection self preservation self preservation the Royal Commission censured Brian Houston it found he failed to report his father to police as he should have and that he had a clear conflict of interest in heading up the investigation how do you feel about the conflict of interest the lack of publication the decision-making will they look after themselves is that your interpretation absolutely that they must protect themselves I felt there was no interest in in Brett no concern for him after the Royal Commission bred sin stocks sought compensation but his two-and-a-half year legal battle failed Brett was unable to prove the Assemblies of God in Australia was responsible for Frank when the abuse occurred they've said that basically if I'll pursue a dog on me for costs in what what's happened to me now I'll lose my house I mean this is a church we're talking about which is meant to be based upon a set of fundamental values disturbed by what he sees as a denial of justice New South Wales MP David Shoebridge has taken up Britt's case three weeks ago he used parliamentary privilege to raise his concerns the Royal Commission found that Brian Houston's response repeatedly failed the victim he failed to report the matter to police and he failed to deal with his own conflict of interest while leading the church the findings provide a strong basis for prosecution under Section three one six of the Crimes Act for the failure to disclose I know that the defence put forward was that Britt didn't want anyone to know is that a defense the fact that one child or one survivor doesn't want you to tell police does not answer your obligations because the obligation of going to the police is to ensure that perpetrators are held to account and they don't abuse others it's not just a failure to deliver justice for bread but it's a failure to provide the protective measures for others in their care it is now a police matter this week they have confirmed Brian Houston is under investigation [Music] excuse me might wondering if you'd like to sign my petition spurred on by the story of Brett Singh stock Pastor Bob cotton has pounded the pavements I'm asking that the government increased the penalty for those who concealed child sex offenses campaigning for tougher penalties for those who concealed child abuse a crusade that bore fruit just this week in New South Wales where the maximum sentence is being raised from 2 - up to 7 years I'd like to thank the Attorney General and the New South Wales government for their continuing commitment to increasing the safety of our young children [Music] Bob cotton and Brett sent stock and now good friends the survivor and the pastor brought together by a mutual desire for justice and the hope that Brett can find peace after what has been a lifetime of torture he needs to be apologized to and if they won't apologize to Brett I'll apologize to him because I'm part of the organization that did this to him and what's been done is wrong and I'm so sorry for what's happened to that man I think the problem with this whole story is that everybody agrees that you were abused that Frank Houston is a criminal yes everybody agrees nobody doubts your allegation no Frank admitted it but that's where it ended and nobody wanted to take any responsibility beyond that no and I can't I can't make it nicer and I wish I could but no this is just the way it is and you just gotta walk with it and do the best that you can hello I'm Liz Hayes thanks for watching to keep up with the latest from 60 minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our channel you can also download the 9 now app for full episodes and other exclusives 60 minutes content

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

Views: 2,751,495

Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Charles Wooley, Tara Brown, Liam Bartlett, Allison Langdon, Tom Steinfort, Ellen Fanning, Peter, Overton, Karl Stefanovic, Ray Martin, Ian Leslie, Gerald Stone, Hillsong Church, Brian Houston, Frank Houston, paedophile, justin bieber, Carl Lentz, church, hillsong, leaders, cult, cheaters, expense cards, Karla Keatinge, Hillsong East Coast, Jess Bogard, Hailey, baldwin, religion

Id: 4g2FgAu1NYw

Length: 17min 33sec (1053 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 19 2018