Fox Exclusion from Sex Abuse Strike Force down to "Timing"

By Catherine Armitage
Sydney Morning Herald
June 27, 2013

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/fox-exclusion-from-sex-abuse-strike-force-down-to-timing-20130626-2oxa4.html

Excluded: Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox. Photo: Darren Pateman

It is a common enough scenario: members of a group talking behind someone's back about leaving them out of things. But this is not the reality television show Survivor - it is senior members of NSW Police, and the subject is the whistleblower Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox.

Chief Inspector Fox was so upset about his exclusion from the group that took over investigating allegations of Catholic paedophile priests in the Hunter region that he went on television and wrote an open letter to NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell claiming a cover-up.

The special commission of inquiry's first term of reference is to look at why Chief Inspector Fox was asked to stop his investigations and if that was appropriate.

The inquiry has been told that in September 2010 the crime manager at Newcastle local area command, Detective Chief Inspector Brad Tayler, and the officer soon to take over from him, Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Humphrey, were told the brief that became known as Strike Force Lantle would be coming to them.

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Chief Inspector Humphrey's evidence was that the two men discussed the likelihood that Chief Inspector Fox, whose own investigation went back years, would seek to "inject himself early" into the strike force, and that he believed Chief Inspector Fox's material would be important, but it was "not the right time" for him to be involved.

Three months later, Chief Inspector Fox learned he would not be on the strike force, which he alleges was a sham, set up to fail.

• Wednesday’s report referred to a question put to Joanne McCarthy by her counsel Winston Terracini, SC, about an allegation that Fr Brian Lucas knew that Fr McAlinden had been interfering with children but had done nothing about it.

The report said Ms McCarthy had answered yes to the question.

In fact, the transcript shows Ms McCarthy did not answer the question. Instead, the commissioner Ms Cunneen, SC, asked Mr Terracini not to introduce that material which he agreed not to do so as not to interfere with the second part of the inquiry dealing with the church’s response to police investigations into two priests which starts on Monday.

Fr Lucas has rejected the allegation as completely untrue. He said in 1993 he took steps to have Fr McAlinden removed from priestly ministry. He said the then adult victim did not want police action and he respected her wishes.

The Herald apologises to Fr Lucas for any embarrassment caused by yesterday’s report.