Police Asked to Search Pell's Office

By Suzie Smith Lateline
ABC - Lateline
May 15, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-15/police-asked-to-search-pells-office/4692554?section=nsw

The inquiry into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the Hunter region has heard that police were asked to search the office of the Catholic Archbishop Of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell.

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: The former head of a police strikeforce has told a NSW inquiry into child sexual abuse that he was made aware of crucial Church documents in the office of the Archdiocese of Sydney, headed by Cardinal George Pell.

The Special Commission of Inquiry is investigating alleged cover-ups of clerical abuse by police and the Catholic Church in the Hunter region north of Sydney.

And in another development, it's been revealed that police were concerned about a settlement agreement between an abuse victim and the Catholic Church. Lateline has now obtained the agreement documents, which show a victim was required to repay his compensation payment plus 10 per cent per annum if he decided to take the matter to the police for criminal action.

Suzie Smith reports from Newcastle.

SUZANNE SMITH, REPORTER: This is Gresford Catholic Church and the inquiry has heard that its priest, Father Guy Hartcher, was under investigation for allegedly being part of a paedophile network. The two others involved were Father James Fletcher, who is now dead, and Father Vincent Ryan.

Father Hartcher was charged in the mid-1990s with 22 offences involving young boys in the Bathurst area in western NSW. He was subsequently moved to the Gresford Church in 1999 by the then Bishop of Maitland Newcastle, Michael Malone.

A police intelligence report, which included information about Father Hartcher was tendered as evidence. The report says police were concerned about a compensation agreement between a victim of Father Hartcher and the Catholic Church. It says:

NSW POLICE SERVICE, LOCAL AREA COMMAND (25/10/2010, male voiceover): "The Church compensated one victim prior to the trial on signing a deed of release not to take civil or criminal action."

SUZANNE SMITH: The internal report says the police objected to these arrangements, but the charges were withdrawn and the trial did not proceed. Tonight Lateline has obtained a copy of the deed of release between the victim and the Church.

DEED OF RELEASE, CLAUSE #6 (female voiceover): In the event that the releaser (victim) ... commences or causes ... any criminal proceedings ... that forthwith upon commencement of any such action ... he will repay to the trustees the agreed settlement sum together with interest at a rate of 10 per cent per annum ...".

SUZANNE SMITH: Father Guy Hartcher was eventually withdrawn from active ministry work in 2004. He is still a priest with the Vincentian order.

In other developments today, former detective chief inspector Brad Tayler took the stand. Mr Tayler, the former manager of Strikeforce Lantle, which was investigating Church sex crimes in the Hunter, said he was told that he should get a warrant to search for documents in the office of Cardinal George Pell. The suggestion was made at a meeting in November, 2010 by victims' lawyer Andrew Morrison SC.

BRAD TAYLER, FMR DET. CHIEF INSPECTOR, NEWCASTLE COMMAND (male voiceover): "His view was that we needed to do a search warrant on Pell ... We had to explain that without the statement we could progress the matter ...".

SUZANNE SMITH: The statement Brad Tayler refers to was the testimony of a key witness who was refusing to finish a statement, claiming she had been badly treated by one of Brad Tayler's officers on Strikeforce Lantle.

The victim had made a formal complaint. Brad Tayler denied his handling of that complaint, as team leader of Strikeforce Lantle represented a conflict of interest. He said the comments by DCI Fox that Strikeforce Lantle were a sham were disgusting. He said he would never have Peter Fox on his team.