Police Wanted More Information in Abuse Cases

By Dan Cox
7 News
May 16, 2013

http://au.news.yahoo.com/sa/latest/a/-/article/17187584/police-wanted-more-information-in-abuse-cases/

An inquiry into child sexual abuse in the New South Wales Hunter Valley Catholic Church has heard an investigator did not want to examine allegations of abuse because he was waiting for more information.

Detective Inspector Paul Jacob, manager of the NSW Sex Crime Squad, said after a discussion with former Lake Macquarie commander Dave Waddell he believed there was no prospect of "criminal investigation outcomes" as key people were dead.

In an email, Detective Jacob said he was asking the Commissioner's Executive Team (CET) "not to investigate", but was quick to tell the Newcastle Supreme Court today that should "not be interpreted as the position taken by NSW Police".

He said he had "no information at all"A and had not yet seen a report that looked at the value of the investigation.

The inquiry is examining claims by abuse whistleblower Detective Inspector Peter Fox that NSW Police and the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle tried to cover up allegations of child sexual abuse by two priests.

The inquiry also heard contactA between Detective Fox and local Fairfax Media journalist Joanne McCarthy was considered "a risk" that needed to be managed.

Detective Jacob told the court he met investigators in December 2010 and discussed the suspected contact between Detective Fox and Ms McCarthy.

He said it was determined their "communication needed to be managed" during the investigation, but rejected claims police did not do enough to investigate.

Detective Jacob said officers "attacked the investigation with vigour", and he denied allegations that Strike Force Lantle, which was established to investigate the allegations, was designed to fail.