AUSTRALIA
7 News
By Dan Cox, ABC
Updated May 14, 2013
The former head of the police force in the New South Wales Hunter Valley has told an inquiry that investigations into child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy could have been “better managed”.
An inquiry has heard claims that important police documents regarding allegations of child sexual abuse in the Hunter Valley’s Catholic Church sat on the desk of the region’s top cop for several months.
Three years ago, when Hunter Valley policeman Peter Fox says he was directed to stop investigating child sexual abuse by two priests in the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Church, Carlene York was the NSW Northern Region Commander.
In giving evidence at the Special Commission of Inquiry in Newcastle, Assistant Commissioner York said while the investigation into child sexual abuse allegations by two local priests “wasn’t quick”, she had decided to investigate and was “waiting on more information”.
The inquiry heard the files sat on Assistant Commissioner York’s desk for several months while she tried to determine which local area command (LAC) was best placed to investigate.
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