Law Professor Patrick Parkinson Questions Church Abuse ‘cover Up’

By Shannon Deery
Herald Sun
August 12, 2016

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A LAW professor formerly employed by the Catholic Church says he fears the Royal Commission will have a limited effect on entrenched cultural problems surrounding systemic child sexual abuse.

In a submission to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse published today Patrick Parkinson questioned the preparedness of the church to implement change.

He also raised concerns that the commission failed to probe some of the church’s most notorious sex offenders.

Professor Parkinson has previously reviewed the church’s Towards Healing protocol for dealing with victims of sexual abuse but formally disassociated himself from the work of the Church in 2011.

He did so after a report he authored on serious issues concerning the Salesians of Don Bosco, one of the world’s largest orders, was suppressed by the Church.

“All those involved in that cover-up continue to be in good standing in the Church, some still holding senior leadership positions. That is not reassuring,” he said.