AUSTRALIA
Courier Mail

Catholic Church cover-up of child sex abuse a scandal, says County Court Judge Felicity Hampel

PAUL ANDERSON NEWS LIMITED NOVEMBER 12, 2013

HIGH-ranking members of the Catholic Church acted in “scandalous” fashion by ignoring claims of sexual abuse and attempting to protect an accused priest and the church brand, a judge has said.

In a scathing attack on the church, County Court judge Felicity Hampel today slammed it for not helping a young sexually abused altar boy and not referring the matter to police.

Depraved Catholic priest Russell Robert Walker sexually abused two altar boys over a four-year period in the 1970s – despite the Archbishop of Melbourne at the time being warned about him.

Walker had been confronted by the parents of one of the boys, only to reply: “How dare you accuse me of sleeping with your son.”

The Catholic Church never took action,…