AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
June 2, 2014
A POLICE strike force set up to investigate the alleged cover-up of child sexual abuse within the Catholic diocese would not have happened without the work of journalist Joanne McCarthy, the Special Commission of Inquiry found.
In its report released on Friday, the commission found that while McCarthy’s work was responsible for Strike Force Lantle’s formation, she had also provided vital information to police that ultimately led to the inquiry, as well as the royal commission into how various institutions handled sexual abuse allegations.
The commission found that while Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox had wrongly shared information with the Newcastle Herald journalist, she was not acting in partnership with Mr Fox, nor was anything she did improper.
‘‘The commission finds no evidence that McCarthy was involved, in league with Fox, in concealing evidence from police and hindering the Strike Force Lantle investigation,’’ commissioner Margaret Cunneen ruled.
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