Church Slow to Understand: Lawyer

By Michelle Harris
Newcastle Herald
September 25, 2013

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1802277/church-slow-to-understand-lawyer/?cs=303

THE Maitland-Newcastle diocese of the Catholic Church did not have a culture against reporting allegations of child sex abuse to police, a barrister told the last public hearing of the Special Commission of Inquiry in Newcastle yesterday.

Rather, the diocese was ‘‘coming to terms [with the fact] that people were capable of doing the things that they were alleged to have done’’.

That had been the challenge for Church officials over recent decades, the diocese’s barrister, Lachlan Gyles SC, told the hearing.

The inquiry has heard evidence – both public and private – over several months relating to the Church’s handling of allegations involving paedophile priests Denis McAlinden and James Fletcher.

The inquiry was established after Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox alleged a Church cover-up of abuse and criticised police handling of investigations.

The public part of the inquiry concluded yesterday, with Mr Gyles urging Commissioner Margaret Cunneen SC not to make adverse findings against the diocese because officials had acted in line with the wishes of victims, who did not want to report priests to the police. He said it would be ‘‘unfair’’ to construe the diocese was ‘‘hiding behind’’ victims, and the commission should be wary of finding ‘‘scapegoats’’ for terrible events.

There was no evidence officials had hindered police or actively discouraged victims from going to police, rendering Mr Fox’s allegations ‘‘baseless’’, Mr Gyles said.

‘‘When one scratches the surface [of the claims] there is nothing underneath the surface,’’ he said.

Ms Cunneen could be ‘‘assured’’ the situation with McAlinden in 1993, where officials attempted to defrock him rather than going to police following a complaint, would not be repeated, he said.