AUSTRALIA
International Business Times
By Geetha Pillai
September 22, 2012
The Roman Catholic Church in the Australian state of Victoria has admitted to hundreds of child sex abuse cases by church officials, including priests and church workers, dating back to the 1930s.
In a submission to a Victorian parliamentary inquiry, the church confirmed it knew of 620 cases of sexual abuse. Another 45 cases are being investigated by church authorities.
The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, described the numbers as “shocking and shameful” and extended the full cooperation of the church to the inquiry.
“We have been open about the horrific abuse that has occurred in Victoria and elsewhere,” said Hart.
“It is shocking and shameful that this abuse, with its dramatic impact on those who were abused and their families, was committed by Catholic priests, religious and church workers.
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