Former Bishop Admits Bumbling Paedophile Case

ABC News
July 11, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-11/former-bishop-admits-bumbling-paedophile-case/4815364?section=nsw

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: The former Catholic Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle has admitted it would have been better if he'd reported a paedophile priest directly to the police.

He was referring to Father Denis McAlinden.

The special commission of inquiry said the Church had evidence of his abuses over four decades.

Bishop Michael Malone conceded his early handling of abuse had been bumbling and said he had a lot of regrets. And Bishop Malone today contradicted evidence he gave yesterday when he said he'd never read or acquainted himself with the material in the priest's personal file.

Suzie Smith reports from Maitland-Newcastle. The producer is Stephen Crittenden.

SUZIE SMITH, REPORTER: It was day two of intensive cross-examination of the former bishop of the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, a role he held for 16 years until 2011.

Yesterday Michael Malone said that when he first became bishop, he only knew about two victims of Denis McAlinden, "AL" and "AK".

He also said that as the bishop of a busy diocese, he didn't have the luxury to read through McAlinden's extensive file.

But this morning, it became clear that Bishop Malone had read significant letters in the personnel file of father Denis McAlinden, which included admissions of guilt and the name of another victim.

The bishop also admitted he'd been informed about accusations of McAlinden's paedophile behaviour in Western Australia.

Bishop Malone admitted toying with the idea of going to the police after he received a letter from McAlinden in 1995 where McAlinden admitted his paedophile behaviour and offered to hand himself in to police.

LETTER FROM DENNIS MCALINDEN TO BISHOP MICHAEL MALONE (5 Dec., 1995, male voiceover): "Indeed, if you would advise it, I would be prepared to go to the police myself. There may even be work to be carried out in prison."

SUZIE SMITH: Today at the inquiry, Bishop Malone admitted that he had in fact looked into McAlinden's file.

JULIA LONERGAN, SENIOR COUNSEL ASSISTING THE COMMISSION (female voiceover): "Did you feel you had any child protection responsibilities?"

MICHAEL MALONE, RETIRED BISHOP (male voiceover): "I would say at that stage my knowledge was fairly innocuous ...".

SUZIE SMITH: Today the bishop admitted he didn't want to read the contents of McAlinden's file.

JULIA LONERGAN (female voiceover): "Did you deliberately not want to know?"

MICHAEL MALONE (male voiceover): "... the whole area of sexual abuse is so distasteful and I wouldn't have found it palatable."

SUZIE SMITH: Bishop Michael Malone was also placed under intensive questioning about his handling of another paedophile priest, Father James Fletcher. He said he had an epiphany after a 2004 ombudsman's report which was triggered by police complaints that he had tipped off father James Fletcher that there was a police investigation into him.

Michael Malone told the inquiry he'd advised a school principal at Branxton, near Newcastle, where Father Fletcher was parish priest, to be vigilant and not allow Fletcher access to children.

Yet soon after, in spite of a request by Detective Peter Fox that Father Fletcher should be stood down, Bishop Malone extended the number of Fletcher's parishes to take in Lochinvar. He admitted he then failed to warn the principals of two schools in Lochinvar about Father Fletcher.

JULIA LONERGAN (female voiceover): "What I'm asking you is why you appointed Fletcher to a new parish where he would have access to children who were unaware of the matters you raised with the principal at Branxton?"

MICHAEL MALONE (male voiceover): "... Yes, I take your point. We had no-one to put into Lochinvar because of shortages and so on ...".

JULIA LONERGAN (female voiceover): "Wouldn't it have been better to put in a priest into Lochinvar who had not been accused of sexually abusing boys?"

MICHAEL MALONE (male voiceover): "Yes, but we had nobody to put in there."

JULIA LONERGAN (female voiceover): "Nobody at all. Better to put it in a man accused of paedophilia than to have no priest."

MICHAEL MALONE (male voiceover): "Oh, that is a bit strong, but I take your advice, yes."

SUZIE SMITH: Bishop Malone will continue his evidence tomorrow. Some of it will be held in camera.

Suzie Smith, Lateline.