[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: Hunter abuse inquiry is damning of Catholic Church while critical of the police whistleblower

[David Shoebridge MLC]

*Hunter abuse inquiry is damning of Catholic Church while critical of the
police whistleblower*

*MEDIA RELEASE *

*30 May 2014*



The Special Commission of Inquiry into criminal child abuse by two priests
in the Hunter region has found the Catholic Church failed for 40 years to
inform police of known paedophile priests, failed to fully co-operate with
police investigations and misled investigating police.


Predictably, given the extent of the institutional attacks on key police
whistleblower Detective Chief Inspector Fox, the Inquiry was also critical
of aspects of his evidence.


Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:


“The inquiry’s findings against the Catholic Church are damning.


“The 40 years during which the Church failed to inform police of a known
paedophile priest undoubtedly resulted in many more children being sexually
abused and damaged forever.


“The Church’s failure to report the criminal abuse by these priests is a
crime for which justice is long overdue.


“The inquiry also found that a senior church official was actively
misleading police about the extent of a priest’s known child abuse as late
as 2003.


“Still to this day the Church has not volunteered to police key
biographical evidence of the two abusive priests that is relevant to police
investigations.


“The attack on the credit of DCI Fox was long predicted given the
extraordinary 14 days in which he was kept in the witness box and the
narrow terms of reference which prevented his full story coming out.


“It is an all too common outcome of such inquiries that the bravery of a
whistleblower is lost when the institutions that are threatened turn their
full resources on attacking their credibility.


“The very limited terms of reference of this Inquiry means it is a far from
full picture of the actions of either the Church or police in the Hunter
region.


“A balanced understanding of the full extent of child abuse by Church
officials, as well as the actions of DCI Fox and other police, will have to
await the findings of the Commonwealth Royal Commission’s far broader
inquiry,” Mr Shoebridge said.


*Media contact for David Shoebridge: 0408 113 952 or 9230 3030*

-- 

* David ShoebridgeGreens MP in the NSW Legislative Council P: (02) 9230
3030 |Media: 0408 113 952|T: @ShoebridgeMLC
<http://twitter.com/#!/shoebridgemlc> SIGN UP TO STAY IN
TOUCH at davidshoebridge.org.au/sign-up
<http://davidshoebridge.org.au/take-action/sign-up/> *