BishopAccountability.org
 
  Child Laws Praised

By Jeff Whalley
Geelong Info [Australia]
July 21, 2005

ST MARY of the Angels parish priest Father Kevin Dillon believes new child protection screening laws are the most realistic way of dealing with an horrific problem. Fr Dillon said the laws would hopefully help end the "shameful misuse of trust" which led to cases of abuse in the past.

Up to 670,000 Victorians will face police checks under the tough new legislation introduced to State Parliament yesterday.

Workers who undertake unsupervised contact with children will be affected by the changes.

Workers at churches, child care centres, children's hospital wards, foster carers, clubs and associations will be affected.

Fr Dillon said that such a remedy was called for as the problem affected many levels of society.

"The sad thing is it is not just the ranks of the clergy who have committed such acts.

"There have been people who, for want of a better word, used that sort of involvement as cover for activities which for the huge majority of the population would find quiet horrific," he said.

Fr Dillon said the law change would take suspicion away from people who genuinely wanted to help children through their volunteer work.

"There are people who have exploited such situations in an opportunistic way.

"This has been a slight on the generosity on the good-will of people whose trust has been misused," he said.

Those banned from working with children will include those with criminal records with serious sexual, violent or drug related crimes.

The program is to be rolled out over five years at a cost of $20m.

The State Government will foot the bill for volunteers' $70 police checks.

 
 

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