AUSTRALIA
7 News
ABC
October 10, 2012
Police have accused the Catholic Church in Victoria of hindering its efforts to investigate child abuse by clergy.
The damning assessment of the Catholic Church’s conduct is contained in a submission Victoria Police has made to a state parliamentary inquiry into child abuse.
It says the Church appears to have dissuaded victims from reporting child sex abuse, alerted suspects to allegations and either moved or protected offenders who were known or suspected of committing sexual offending against children.
Police say one of the Church’s own complaint systems, the Melbourne Response, has been detrimental to police investigations into those suspected of sexually abusing children.
Police have also criticised the role played by the church’s lead investigator Peter O’Callaghan QC.
They say his methods have effectively dissuaded victims from going to authorities.
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