AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net
The NSW Government enquiry into cover-ups of child sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Church’s Newcastle-Maitland diocese ended today with evidence from Maureen O’Hearn who ran the “healing and support” unit.
Tears again flowed at the enquiry when she read out victims’ statements from two of Fr. McAlinden’s victims. The abuse was separated by an almost unbelievable 32 years. McAlinden first offended in 1949, according to Ms. O’Hearn. She said she had dealings with 28 victims from between 1949 and 1984 who had been abused by McAlinden. He died in 2005, never having been held to account for his crimes against children. This was simply because he was protected by the Catholic Church during all those years, and possibly with complicity from the NSW police establishment.
This is what the enquiry report must focus upon.
One of the two victims’ statements noted that McAlinden was “an extremely bad tempered, evil man who was a sexual predator of little girls” who was “kept hidden by the Church.” She said that someone must be held accountable. The other victim said that she wondered what her life would have been like if she had never encountered McAlinden.
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