AUSTRALIA
Brisbane Times

April 17, 2015

Miranda Forster

A retired Catholic bishop says he deeply regrets dismissing allegations of child sexual abuse against members of his clergy and admits he put the reputation of the church first.

Former head of the central Queensland diocese of Rockhampton Brian Heenan has told a royal commission his response to multiple allegations of child sexual abuse against priests at the Neerkol orphanage was inappropriate and wrong.

Historical allegations of widespread physical and sexual abuse by priests and nuns at the orphanage began emerging in 1993.