AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
JOANNE McCarthy was ‘‘the genesis’’ of a police strikeforce set up to investigate the Catholic Church’s alleged cover-up of paedophile priests, an inquiry was told on Monday.
But the Newcastle Herald journalist was largely ignored by senior police, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox told the inquiry, and police were ordered not to talk to her.
At a meeting of senior police in December 2010, Mr Fox and other officers were gagged from talking to the media.
Mr Fox suggested police should involve McCarthy in their investigation because ‘‘she knows more about this issue than this entire room put together’’.
‘‘She is the be-all and end-all on this matter,’’ he said. ‘‘She has all the information and all the witnesses … it would be silly to cut her out.
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