AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX From: The Australian May 06, 2013
NSW police officers discussed whether a “Catholic mafia” existed within the force, deliberately hindering the investigation of pedophile priests, an inquiry has heard.
Giving evidence at the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into child sex abuse, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox said he discussed these fears in 2002 with the current state Nationals MP, Troy Grant, then a serving officer.
Mr Grant “was highly critical of some senior police at Newcastle in what he perceived to be hindering his investigation” into alleged child abuse by clergy, Detective Fox said.
The MP, who will give evidence tomorrow, used the phrase “Catholic mafia” to describe two particular officers he felt were deliberately asking him to work on other criminal investigations, Detective Fox said.
“He was referring to what he perceived to be police who he felt to be aligned to the Catholic Church, who were attempting to discourage investigations into clergy,” he said.
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