Father Brian Lucas Kept No Notes on Pedophile Priest Interviews, Inquiry Told

By Dan Box
The Australian
July 24, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/father-brian-lucas-kept-no-notes-on-pedophile-priest-interviews-inquiry-told/story-e6frg6nf-1226684363637

ONE of the most senior officials in the Catholic church personally interviewed dozens of alleged pedophile priests, many of whom admitted their crimes, but took no notes as they might have been used in legal action, an inquiry has heard.

Brian Lucas, the general secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, told the NSW special commission of inquiry into church child abuse that his role was to "seduce them to resign."

One of the priests Father Lucas interviewed, Denis McAlinden, was subsequently subject to an arrest warrant issued by NSW Police, but died before being charged, the inquiry has heard. Another is currently before the courts, charged with child sex abuse.

Giving evidence this morning, Father Lucas said McAlinden had admitted abusing children and he had been prepared to risk committing an offence himself by not reporting this to police.

Counsel assisting the inquiry, Julia Lonergan, asked Father Lucas if he did not take notes during these meetings as "you didn't want it to have to be disclosed in any subsequent legal process?"

"I think that would be a reasonable comment," he replied.

"You have published views for the benefit of other clergy to the effect that it's a good idea not to take notes, so that a subsequent legal process that would compel production of them cannot be successful?"

"In some instances that would be accurate, yes," Father Lucas said.

Throughout the early 1990s, Father Lucas said he interviewed about 35 alleged pedophile priests, from across NSW, many of whom were convinced to resign.

He told the inquiry this was done to reduce the risk of them having access to children, but accepted the church did not make this decision public, and the men could continue to meet children.

"That element of risk is there," Father Lucas said.

"Our focus was on the fact that as a priest he had greater access to children, that's what we wanted to remove."

He said he had not gone to police about McAlinden as one of his victims had not wanted them involved. By doing so, Father Lucas was prepared to run the risk of committing a crime, he told the inquiry.

"Even a report to the police doesn't necessarily guarantee the safety of children ... these were part of the dilemmas we always faced," he told the inquiry.