No Police Resources for Clergy Sex Inquiry in the Hunter, Inquiry Hears

By Eil Keene
Daily Telegraph
May 14, 2013

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/no-police-resources-for-clergy-sex-inquiry-in-the-hunter-inquiry-hears/story-fni0cx4q-1226641507609

Peter Fox spoke out about child sexual abuse in the Catholic church, sparking the inquiry.

A LACK of resources - not an intent to protect the Catholic church - was why reports of child sex abuse by senior clergy in the Hunter were not dealt with quicker, an inquiry has heard.

The special commission of inquiry heard allegations last week that senior police aligned with the Catholic Church in Newcastle had hindered investigations into paedophile priests and Church cover-ups.

But Inspector Dave Waddell, operations commander in Lake Macquarie in 2010 when investigations were under way, said yesterday there was a less sinister explanation. "I didn't think we were going to be able to commit the necessary resources to conduct this particular investigation," he said.

The case was ultimately transferred to Newcastle, which Insp Waddell said had more detectives available.

He denied telling other police there was "no prospect" of criminal outcomes, due to the fact the priest at the centre of the allegations had died several years earlier.

Insp Waddell also defended the lack of urgency with chasing up the allegations, saying that while they were important, day-to-day crimes such as homicides and robberies needed to take precedence.

"There was nothing of urgency attached to it," he said.