Personal Cost of Fight for Justice

By Jeannette McMahon
ABC Newcastle
May 6, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/05/06/3752519.htm

Whistleblower Peter Fox arrives at the first day of the Newcastle inquiry.

Chief Inspector Peter Fox has spoken of the personal toll his pursuit of justice for child victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church has taken on himself and his family.

A number of senior police, including Chief Inspector Fox, will give evidence at a public inquiry which starts in Newcastle today.

Fox is seen as a hero by many of the victims and their families for his tenacious pursuit of justice and his public comments, which have created career and personal pressure for himself.

The inquiry was set up by the NSW Premier after Fox appeared on the ABC's Lateline, alleging some church officials failed to report claims of child sex abuse to police, and that he was told to stop investigating the matter.

The inquiry, overseen by NSW deputy crown prosecutor Margaret Cuneen, will look specifically at how the church handled complaints about former Hunter priests Jim Fletcher and Denis McAlinden, both now deceased.

Peter Fox and Patricia Feenan, whose book Holy Hell is about the abuse suffered by her 14-year-old altar boy son, told 1233 ABC Newcastle's Aaron Kearney of their mixed feelings about the start of the special inquiry.

"I'm feeling apprehensive," Pat said. "This is a monumental thing that's happening, and as long as the matters raised are dealt with clearly and fairly, I'll be happy.

"I feel that this is people power, people agitating for fairness."

Peter Fox says he's glad the day's finally here and hopes for only one thing, that the inquiry will hear the truth.

"I've got no doubt in the world that some factions from the police force will be trying to knock a bit of bark off me here and there," he says.

"I'm quite prepared for that, I realise that this is never going to be an easy process, and people will probably come at me hard and fast because some people have a lot to lose."

Chief Insp Fox admits it's been a tough road for him.

"It hasn't been easy, I won't pretend that it has," he says.

"It's taken a huge toll on my family and to some degree, of course, myself.

"I couldn't be true to myself if I hadn't taken this stance.

"I will pay a fairly high personal cost at the end of the day, I knew that from the day I spoke out.

"I have got no regrets."

Peter Fox has already given three full days of evidence behind closed doors in Sydney.

The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry, which will sit for two weeks from today and then again in June and July, is separate from the federal Royal Commission into child sex abuse.

Fox says the current inquiry won't be able to encompass the whole story, which will have to wait for the Royal Commission.