AUSTRALIA
Maitland Mercury
By NICK BIELBY Feb. 1, 2015
The leader of the Catholic church in the Hunter has thrown his support behind a suggestion to repeal a time limit for victims of child sexual abuse to pursue civil litigation against the church and its clergy.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse discussed a possible repeal in its consultation paper, which was released on Friday.
It also earmarked the possibility of a national redress scheme, which would involve the federal government and institutions that were responsible for child sexual abuse.
Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Bishop Bill Wright said in a written statement that a significant number of Catholic church abuse victims were from the Maitland-Newcastle region.
He said the church was committed to continuing to support abuse victims.
“As I have stated previously, I strongly support the royal commission in its mission to investigate and recommend improvements to laws, policies and procedures to better protect children,” Bishop Wright said.
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