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Archbishop Denis Hart Calls for Law to Report Sexual Misconduct by Priests

By David Hurley
Daily Telegraph
May 31, 2013

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/archbishop-denis-hart-calls-for-law-to-report-sexual-misconduct-by-priests/story-fnii5smt-1226654739833

Archbishop Denis Hart is sorry for a remark he made at last week's inquiry into sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE Archbishop Denis Hart has called for a new law to require all Catholic dioceses in Victoria to report to authorities allegations of sexual misconduct by priests.

Archbishop Hart said Victoria should consider adopting the system used in NSW.

Speaking at a gathering of religious leaders in Melbourne, the Archbishop also pledged to ensure no new cases of child sex abuse would emerge from the Catholic Church under his leadership.

Discussing a change to the law, Archbishop Hart said it would give the community "effective oversight" of the church's processes.

He said: "The NSW Ombudsman Act imposes reporting requirements on organisations that work with children in that state.

"It requires government and designated non-government agencies to report any allegation that an employee of the agency has engaged in 'reportable conduct', and to investigate it.

"Since then all Catholic dioceses in NSW have accepted they are designated agencies. They are now overseen by the Ombudsman. Such a system could be introduced in Victoria."

Archbishop Hart also apologised for a remark he made at last week's inquiry into sex abuse in the Catholic Church.

In reply to a question about the time it took the church to take action against an offending priest, he said: "Better late than never."

He said: "It was a very poor choice of words and I certainly didn't mean in any way to be flippant."

 

 

 

 

 




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