Whistleblower Escapes Contempt Charge over Tweet
By Jamelle Wells
A New South Wales detective who triggered an inquiry into the handling of allegations of church child sex abuse will not face a contempt charge for tweeting from the hearing room. The inquiry is focusing on the handling of allegations involving priests in the Catholic diocese of Maitland and Newcastle and allegations Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox was stopped from investigating the matters. In May, Patrick Saidi, a barrister for several high-ranking police officers, told Special Commissioner Margaret Cunneen that Inspector Fox had tweeted a message from the hearing room that was inconsistent with evidence. Mr Saidi asked Ms Cunneen to ban tweeting while sessions were sitting and to refer the matter to the Crown Solicitor's office to consider a contempt charge against Inspector Fox. The police whistleblower's tweet was about another police officer. At the time Ms Cunneen said the tweet was "undignified and misleading". She gave Inspector Fox's barrister time to make a written submission before she decided whether or not to refer him for a possible contempt charge. Today she told a directions hearing that she did not think referring the matter for a possible contempt charge was necessary. The inquiry resumes in Newcastle later this month.
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.