AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
Rachel Browne
Australia’s most senior Catholic leaders delivered a scathing assessment of their church’s past approach to victims of child sexual abuse, telling a royal commission it was “criminal negligence” and “a catastrophic failure”.
Five metropolitan archbishops appeared before a packed hearing room at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which is examining Catholic church authorities in a three-week inquiry.
Sydney archbishop Anthony Fisher described the church’s response to victims as “criminal negligence”.
“There were people who were just like rabbits in the headlights, they had no idea what to do and their performance was appalling,” he said.
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