AUSTRALIA
WA Today

Daniel Fogarty
AAP

The Catholic Church’s processes for clergy abuse victims were detrimental to police investigations and failed to protect communities from offenders, the former head of Victoria’s Sex Crimes squad says.

The church processes actively and systematically dissuaded victims from reporting crimes to police and failed to make offenders accountable, Glenn Davies, a former Victoria Police detective inspector, said.

The Archdiocese of Melbourne was “inherently protectionist, elitist” and was dismissive of suggestions for change, Mr Davies said in a submission to a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into clergy sexual abuse.