Australia PM knew of rape claim

Mr Hollingworth is under pressure to resign

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said that he has known for six months about the rape claim against Governor-General Peter Hollingworth, which came to public attention on Thursday.

Mr Howard said in a statement that he had been notified by Mr Hollingworth at the time the allegation was first made last December.

Mr Hollingworth - already under pressure to resign for mishandling child sex abuse cases during his time as an Anglican archbishop - publicly revealed the rape allegation against him in a televised address, provoking further calls for him to quit.

Australia doesn't want to have as its head of state someone who...recycled a child abusing priest

Bob Carr, New South Wales Premier

But Mr Howard has so far stood by Mr Hollingworth, who has admitted mishandling sex abuse cases in the 1990s, but has categorically denied rape.

"The prime minister told the governor-general (that) like any citizen, he was entitled to take all necessary steps to clear his good name," a spokesman for Mr Howard said on Friday.

But while Mr Hollingworth appears to have retained the support of the prime minister, many others have called on him to quit.

Even before the rape allegations came to light, many government and opposition politicians, as well as 76% of polled Australians, wanted him to go.

Bob Carr, premier of New South Wales, said on Friday that he thought Mr Hollingworth would soon resign.

"Australia doesn't want to have as its head of state someone who, to put it brutally, recycled a child abusing priest some years ago in his previous area of responsibility," Mr Carr said.

Denial

Mr Hollingworth said in his statement on Thursday that he had never even met Rosemarie Annie Jarmyn, who alleged he raped her on a church camp in the southern city of Bendigo in the late 1960s.

Ms Jarmyn began a claim for compensation earlier this year, but has since committed suicide.

"I deny absolutely that I have ever raped or in any way sexually assaulted any person," he said.

HOLLINGWORTH TIMELINE

1990-2001 - Archbishop of Brisbane

June 2001 - Appointed Governor-General

December 2001 - Allegations he mishandled sex abuse cases in 1990s

1 May 2003 - Report criticises him for conduct as Archbishop

8 May - Rape allegations become public

Profile of Peter Hollingworth

Even before the rape allegations, a Church report published last week said Mr Hollingworth committed a "grave error of judgment" for failing to act appropriately in at least two cases of abuse - and in particular, for allowing a known paedophile to continue working as a priest - when he serving as the Archbishop of Brisbane in the 1990s.

The governor-general, appointed by the serving prime minister, is Queen Elizabeth's representative in Australia, and has a series of legal and ceremonial duties.

"The office is being diminished," said constitutional expert John Williams, from the University of Adelaide. "He needs to find a dignified way to go."

But several Anglican colleagues have rallied round the former archbishop in the wake of the latest allegations.

"He needs space, his wife is terribly ill, and he needs to be able to sit down with good advisers and his bible and listen to what God has to say," said Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen.

And even some of his most vehement opponents said Mr Hollingworth was entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty over the rape allegations, which might ultimately work in his favour.

"I think the video statement released by the governor-general will have the effect of garnishing some public support for him, and I think it will make it less likely that he will go," said Queensland Premier Peter Beattie.