In a small courtroom in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, lawyers for Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston have questioned a survivor on his recollection of an interaction with their client after disclosing abuse at the hands of his father, Frank Houston.
Houston has pleaded not guilty to one charge of concealing a serious indictable offence.
Survivor Brett Sengstock was sexually abused by Assemblies of God pastor Frank Houston in 1970 when he was seven years old. He took the stand on Tuesday for the second day of the trial and was cross-examined by Houston’s barrister Phillip Boulten. Sengstock testified about when and to whom he disclosed the sexual abuse. He previously gave evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2014.
Boulten has argued Sengstock’s memory about conversations he had with his mother, Brian Houston and other members of the church is impaired. “This was a very long time ago … and this was a traumatic part of your life. Your memory is imperfect about these things, do you agree?” he asked.
Sengstock agreed that although he wouldn’t be able to recall the date and details of every conversation, he was certain about two things: the year he disclosed the abuse to his mother, and the one conversation he’d had with Brian Houston about the abuse.
Sengstock said he first told his mother in 1978 when he was 16 years old.
“I think that was the most explosive moment and I think that’s when [the conversation about the abuse] was stopped,” he said.
“Unfortunately she seemed more angry at me for opening my mouth up.”
But the defence tendered evidence from Sengstock’s mother’s diary claiming he revealed the “bombshell” in May 1994, when he was 32.
“Houston molested [him] at Melody St and he’s holding it against Phil and me for not protecting him for 25 years,” the diary read.
“My whole life feels like the foundations are rocking.”
Sengstock disputes this was the first time they’d discussed it.
Boulten pointed to discrepancies in dates and Sengstock’s reluctance to go to the police. Sengstock has said that, in either November 1999 or early 2000, he met Frank Houston at a McDonald’s in Thornleigh, where Frank Houston agreed to pay him $10,000. On Monday, Sengstock testified the money discouraged him from going to the police, telling the court he felt he’d been “paid for [his] silence”.
Sengstock told the court he called Brian Houston some weeks later as the money didn’t arrive, alleging Brian Houston said to him: “You know this is all your fault. You tempted my father.”
Sengstock said this was the only conversation he had with Brian Houston about the abuse.
The defence has claimed that earlier that year Brian Houston had called Sengstock to tell him there’d been a meeting with church executives.
“I suggest he said to you, ‘I know what my father has done to you, he’s confessed to me’ … he’d made it clear [to Hillsong executives] that you want privacy and respect in the matter … that you want to remain anonymous … and that your wish was going to be honoured’,” Boulten said.
“You were very angry with him and said, ‘I don’t want your bloody counselling and I don’t want anything to do with the church … I want you to leave me alone.'”
Sengstock denied any such conversation had taken place. When asked about how he could know Frank Houston had confessed to Brian Houston, Sengstock said the allegations had been discussed by multiple members of the church.
“It was gossip everywhere,” he said.
Yesterday, Boulten told the court that before Frank Houston died in 2004, “tens of thousands” of people would have known about the abuse he had perpetrated.
The trial continues.
