Senior Catholic may face abuse cover-up charges

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

DAN BOX THE AUSTRALIAN JUNE 03, 2014

A SENIOR Catholic Church ­official is potentially facing a ­historic criminal prosecution for allegedly covering up child sex abuse committed by a priest, after a report detailing evidence against the official was referred to the NSW Director of Public ­Prosecutions.

The confidential report, produced by a special commission of inquiry, was referred to the independent prosecutor’s office over the weekend by the NSW government, which received the document on Friday.

The DPP is expected to consider whether the official should be charged with either misprision of a felony, an offence that was repealed from NSW law in 1990, or the charge that succeeded it of concealing a serious indictable ­offence.

Any prosecution could represent the first time a Catholic official has faced trial within Australia for concealing child sexual abuse.

While the official cannot be publicly identified, the inquiry, led by NSW prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, found enough evidence existed to pursue criminal charges against him.

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