AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
Aug. 1, 2013
CONSIDERING its relatively narrow terms of reference, the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into alleged cover-up of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has achieved much of value, even before its findings have been handed down.
The commission was set up by the O’Farrell government to investigate explosive allegations, by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, of obstruction to police investigations of abuse by priests over many years.
But it has managed to illuminate much more than that specific issue, extracting unprecedented admissions and some surprising pieces of evidence from church figures, including some who had held very senior roles.
It is important to remember that the commission was established before the then prime minister, Julia Gillard, announced a full federal Royal Commission into the much broader issue of sexual abuse across a wide spectrum of organisations.
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