We Believed Predators over Victims: Catholic Church

By Stuart Rintoul
The Australian
October 11, 2012

www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/we-believed-predators-over-victims-catholic-church/story-e6frgczx-1226493176486

THE Catholic Church says it is committed to facing up to a shameful history of child abuse by priests, and has admitted it was slow to respond, slow to believe victims and wrongly believed the denials of "predators".

But Victoria Police has accused the church of hindering investigations in its submission to the Victorian government inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non-government organisations.

VicPol says it had "serious concerns" about the church's internal inquiry process, which had resulted in a number of ex gratia payments to victims, but not a single referral to police.

Recurring issues included the church appearing to dissuade victims from reporting allegations to police, alerting suspects of allegations and the movement or protection of known or suspected offenders.