AUSTRALIA
news.com.au

Megan Palin and AAP

VICTORIA Police will apologise and pay compensation to a former detective whose investigation into child abuse allegations against a Catholic priest was stymied by senior officers.

The police and church protected paedophile Monsignor John Day, thwarting a 1971-1972 investigation by former Mildura policeman Denis Ryan, the child abuse royal commission has heard.

Victoria chief commissioner from 1977 to 1987, Mick Miller, told the inquiry 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 Reg 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.