MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA)
Illawarra Mercury
December 5, 2017
A former Melbourne Catholic archbishop failed to protect children from a priest despite numerous complaints as he sought to avoid scandal to the church, a royal commission has found.
Archbishop Frank Little’s inaction over Doveton priest Fr Peter Searson left children at risk of harm, including sexual harm, and had catastrophic human consequences, the child abuse royal commission said.
“We are satisfied that there was a prevailing culture within the Archdiocese, led by Archbishop Little, of dealing with complaints internally and confidentially to avoid scandal to the church,” its report released on Tuesday said.
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