AUSTRALIA
Gadens
Independent Schools and the impact of NSW State and Federal Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Commissions
Wendy Blacker, Partner, Sydney
Amelia Williams, Paralegal, Sydney
7/03/2013
Overview
Two separate Commissions related to Child Sexual Abuse were announced in Australia in November 2012, one by the Federal Government which is wide-ranging in scope and one by the NSW Government which relates to a specific Catholic Diocese. Both however, relate to child sexual abuse in an institutional context.
Special Commission of Inquiry into matters relating to the Police investigation of certain child sexual abuse allegations in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle (NSW)
The NSW Commission was formulated in response to allegations by NSW Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox that he was taken off the case (of investigating allegations of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests in the Hunter Region) after becoming aware that senior clergy had concealed abuse and established a close relationship with victims.
The NSW Commission may make findings and recommendations in relation to:
(a) the circumstances in which Detective Fox was asked to stop investigating the
abuse and whether it was appropriate to do so; and
(b) whether the Catholic Church (and any related organisation) assisted with
police investigations or whether any investigations were hindered or
obstructed, by such things as failure to report criminal conduct, the
discouraging of witnesses to come forward or destroying evidence.
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