AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
May 29, 2013
Barney Zwartz
Religion editor, The Age.
This week, in a challenging and confrontational four-hour session, Cardinal George Pell became the final witness at the Victorian inquiry into how the churches handled child sexual abuse. The inquiry began slowly, in the face of considerable scepticism about its resources and political will, but now I congratulate the committee.
It has been diligent, dedicated and determined, united in purpose and free of party politics, aided by an excellent team including Frank Vincent, QC, police adviser Mal Hyde and Crown prosecutor Claire Quin. The police Taskforce Sano attached to the inquiry has already laid new charges.
By the end, the committee received 405 submissions and held 160 hearings – just under half in secret – with 45 organisations and scores of victims, families, whistleblowers, academics and experts.
Now the committee retires to write its report, due by September 30. Whatever its recommendations, many of which could be confidently predicted now, it has already served a valuable role in giving a public voice to victims and holding the churches to account.
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