Abbott Backs Child Sex Abuse Inquiry

By John Ferguson
The Australian
April 19, 2012

www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-backs-child-sex-abuse-inquiry/story-fn59niix-1226332103124

TONY Abbott has thrown his weight behind the controversial inquiry into child abuse by religious and community organisations in Victoria but warned against singling out institutions such as the Catholic Church.

The Opposition Leader also backed mandatory reporting of child sex offenders, saying yesterday that instances of criminality should be reported to police.

Without naming the Catholic Church, Mr Abbott counselled against attacking "particular institutions" on the grounds that abuse was not isolated to one faith or entity.

He said Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu deserved support for instituting a parliamentary inquiry, which would report within a year into the way church and other community organisations had handled child sex abuse allegations.

While the inquiry is wide-ranging, much of the focus has been on the role of the Catholic Church in Victoria, which has been embroiled in decades of scandal involving criminality by some clergy.

"I think it's very important to get to the bottom of this kind of behaviour and to stamp it out.

"I think where criminal behaviour has taken place, it should be reported to the police and prosecutions should be launched," Mr Abbott said.

"I think where institutions have been inadequate, they should be investigated and they should be improved. I do make this point, though: there has been a lot of pretty gruesome behaviour in many institutions over the years and we should be careful not to single out particular institutions, given that a lot of this has been, or it was, a pandemic a generation ago."

Mr Abbott's support for the inquiry was echoed yesterday by former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, who said a parliamentary investigation was both appropriate and capable of uncovering evidence.

Victorian Labor says parliament is not the proper forum to investigate child sex abuse, arguing that a royal commission or independent inquiry with similar powers is the only answer.

Labor MP Frank McGuire denied to The Australian yesterday that he was considering quitting the parliamentary committee over the government's referral, but he questioned whether the committee would have the power or resources to fulfil the demands of the subject matter.

Mr McGuire said the history of Irish investigations into child sex abuse by clergy was that it could be prolonged and forensic work.

Mr Baillieu said he would ensure the parliamentary inquiry was properly resourced.