AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX From: The Australian July 19, 2013
A FORMER senior Catholic cleric believes the church could have reported a pedophile priest to police years earlier than it did as there was a risk he could abuse other children at any time, an inquiry has heard.
The former vicar-general of the Maitland-Newcastle diocese, William Burston, said information about the priest’s crimes was provided to police in 1999, only after attempts to deal with him internally had failed.
Under cross-examination at the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry, Father Burston said two separate complaints against the priest, Denis McAlinden, could have been passed on at least as early as 1995.
Maria Gerace, a lawyer representing one of McAlinden’s victims, asked if the priest “was indeed a risk of reoffending” at the time.
“Yes,” Father Burston replied. Asked if he considered this risk, he said: “I was not carrying the case, I was simply carrying out various parts of it, so I don’t see that as something that I would necessarily turn my mind to.”
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