ABUSE Inquiry Refers 135 Cases to Vic Cops

9 News
November 12, 2013

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/13/11/15/vic-police-pleased-with-inquiry-outcome

Victorian police are investigating 135 new allegations of sexual abuse as a result of the state's parliamentary inquiry into child abuse, and more claims are likely.

The final report of the inquiry says it referred the allegations to the Sano task force, established by police to investigate specific allegations of child abuse raised during the inquiry.

The report says more referrals are expected as a review of submissions made to the inquiry continued.

"As could be expected, the establishment of the inquiry and the task force ... encouraged more victims to report abuse to the police," the report says.

During the inquiry, police accused the Catholic Church of destroying evidence, shielding pedophile clergy members and putting its own image ahead of the needs of victims.

The church said it was not aware of a single example of a clergy authority not co-operating with police.

The report criticised Victoria Police for the way it had previously handled claims of sexual abuse, particularly within the Catholic Church.

It said police had paid "inadequate attention" to the fundamental problems of the Catholic Church's Melbourne Response complaints arrangements, until April last year.

"When they did become the subject of public attention, Victoria Police representatives endeavoured quite unfairly to distance the organisation from them," the report said.

It also said some victims told the inquiry police had not provided the support, intervention and investigation they had hoped for.

There was a lack of intervention by police, and victims who escaped non-government institutions were often escorted back there by police, the report found.

The committee noted Victoria Police had changed the way it dealt with victims of sexual abuse and encouraged it to keep improving.

In a statement, police said they were pleased the issues raised by the government's inquiry had been given the prominence and scrutiny they demanded.

Commission of Inquiry Now (COIN) advocacy group spokesman Bryan Keon-Cohen said it was important Victoria Police followed up the new allegations referred from the inquiry.

"The parliament and the police should not await the outcome of any other inquiry, including the Commonwealth royal commission. They should act now in the interests of protecting children," he said.