AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
January 18, 2013
Leesha McKenny
Urban Affairs Reporter
A Catholic Church inquiry into its handling of a priest who repeatedly sexually abused altar boys has cleared three senior clergy of a cover-up, laying much of the blame at the feet of a deceased bishop.
The present bishop of Armidale, Michael Kennedy, has apologised ‘‘unreservedly’’ to victims and their families after the investigation’s report into a former priest was released on Thursday.
The report – deeply critical of the diocese under his predecessor, Bishop Henry Kennedy – highlighted poor record-keeping, ineffective assessments and inaction as serious allegations against the priest ‘‘cried out for investigation’’.
The former priest, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was accused of sexually assaulting boys in the dioceses of Armidale and Parramatta during the 1980s. Two of the 59-year-old’s victims have since committed suicide.
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