AUSTRALIA
Canberra Times
May 3, 2013
Opinion
Wokkapedia
Admit nothing. The phrase, dead and colourless, was the match that ignited a slow burn of anger and indignation.
The words were mentioned in hearings this week at the Victorian inquiry into child sexual abuse by churches. The speaker was the Bishop of Ballarat, Paul Bird. He was asked by committee member Andrea Coote about a document from 20 years ago by Australian bishops in which the priorities for churches in child abuse matters were to avoid scandal, protect the priest, concede nothing and, after all that, treat the victim as secondary. Bishop Bird replied: “We were listening to insurers and lawyers, who said ‘admit nothing’.”
Things had now changed. The diocese had settled 107 of 166 claims.
Also at the hearing, committee member David O’Brien asked former Ballarat Bishop Peter Connors:
Was there a persistent disregard for victims?
Yes.
Peter Rush, the CEO of Catholic Church Insurance, told the inquiry that “admit nothing” had been the strategy – “wrongly” – in advising officials. It was the “way insurers ran liability”. It had ceased doing so from the mid-’90s.
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