Commissioner Scipione ...

New South Wales Police Force
June 2, 2014

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Commissioner Scipione welcomes Special Commission of Inquiry report

The NSW Police Force has welcomed the report and notes the findings of the Special Commission of Inquiry into matters relating to the Police investigation of certain child abuse allegations in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

The NSW Police Force acknowledges the very thorough work done by Commissioner Margaret Cunneen and her team in examining the very serious issue of child abuse.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says, as the report has indicated, the community can have every confidence in the capacity and determination of NSW Police to listen and to investigate these crimes.

“The Commission found there was “no credible evidence” of any wrongdoing by those officers undertaking their investigations or their commanders. The Commission probed forensically into the role police played.

“The issue of child abuse is one the NSW Police Force takes extremely seriously and has devoted significant resources to both investigate and prevent this type of crime.

“As the Report notes, a thorough brief of evidence has been prepared by Strike Force Lantle as a consequence of efforts and dedication of many officers in the Hunter region.

“Commissioner Cunneen noted that the independent assessment of the brief of evidence prepared by those dedicated officers was that it was of a “high standard” – This is the view of Ian Lloyd QC.

“She also observed it was a complex investigation and there’s no question it presented challenges for those who undertook that work.

“Those officers can hold their heads up high. We are proud of them. Their motivation was to seek justice for victims – they had no other motivation.

“They can now get back on with their lives and do what they do best – protecting the community.

“There are still matters to go before the court and there are investigations ongoing. That will never stop.”

Commissioner Scipione says the NSW Police Force continues to encourage anyone who is the victim of such abuse to come forward.

“We will always do our very best to assist those victims.

“We continue to encourage any victim to report their matter to police in the first instance and further, tell their story to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.”