AUSTRALIA
Sky News
Former Victorian police chief Reg Jackson was the architect of a conspiracy to conceal child sex abuse by a Catholic priest, his successor has told an inquiry.
The police and church protected pedophile Monsignor John Day, thwarting a 1971-1972 investigation by former Mildura policeman Denis Ryan, the child abuse royal commission has heard.
Mick Miller, chief commissioner from 1977 to 1987, says he did not know of the existence of a ‘Catholic mafia’, as described by Mr Ryan, comprising Catholic police officers who protected priests.
But he blames his immediate predecessor Mr Jackson for police putting a stop to Mr Ryan’s investigation into Day.
‘It is my opinion that chief commissioner Reg Jackson was the architect of the Victoria Police’s response to Denis Ryan’s investigations into Monsignor Day,’ Mr Miller told the commission on Tuesday.
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