AUSTRALIA
The Armidale Express
STEPHEN JEFFERY
03 Aug, 2012
A SENIOR cleric at the centre of the ‘Father F’ sex abuse scandal has become embroiled in new allegations of concealing evidence of sex offences following a police investigation in the Hunter region.
Australian Bishops Conference general secretary Father Brian Lucas (pictured) is one of three persons of interest to Strike Force Lantle, which has investigated how the Catholic Church handled paedophile priest Denis McAlinden.
McAlinden, who died in 2005 without facing charges, is believed to have sexually assaulted possibly hundreds of girls over four decades in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese.
Although the Church reported McAlinden’s offences to authorities in 2003, it is alleged Father Lucas knew of his actions as early as 1993.
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