Crimes of the Cross: The Anglican Paedophile Network of Newcastle, Its Protectors and the Man Who Fought for Justice By: Anne Manne [Audiobook]

Author: Anne Manne
Narrated by: Fiona Macleod

2024 Nib Literary Award, Long-listed

For many years, Newcastle was the centre of an extensive paedophile network run by members of the Anglican church – and protected by parishioners and community members who looked the other way.

In this gripping audiobook, Anne Manne reveals how this network was able to avoid detection for so long, and how its ringleaders were finally exposed and brought to justice. At the centre of the story is a survivor, Steve Smith, who endured years of childhood abuse but refused to be silenced.

Drawing on extensive research and interviews with survivors, clergy, police and others, Manne explores how the network operated and how it became entrenched in the upper echelons of Newcastle society. She offers deep insights into the minds and strategies of abusers, and pays tribute to the victims and their tireless struggle for justice. Child sexual abuse has previously been thought of as an individual crime; Manne pioneers an examination of it as part of a network.

This is an unforgettable study of courage and faith in the face of unthinkable evil.

2024, Nib Literary Award, Long-listed

2024, Australian Political Book of the Year, Long-listed

2024, Walkley Book Award, Short-listed