AUSTRALIA
The Australian
From:The Australian
April 19, 2012
THE goal of Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry into the handling of child sex abuse by religious and other non-government organisations is not to dwell on the past but to protect children in future.
Its powers are extensive, including the ability to compel witnesses to give evidence and to summon documents.
Hopefully, as Premier Ted Baillieu said, the fact that it will be less formal than a royal commission will enable those giving evidence to do so without lawyers. Its terms of reference are well-drawn, focusing on practices and protocols for handling abuse allegations and whether more encouragement is needed to report allegations.
The inquiry will determine, for example, whether the arms-length process set up in Melbourne by the Catholic Church in 1996 and run by an independent QC, which is regarded by some victims’ groups as “the best of a bad lot”, is effective. The Towards Healing process that applies in Victorian dioceses outside Melbourne will also come under scrutiny, as will those operated by other denominations and organisations. Melbourne’s Catholic Archbishop, Denis Hart, has pledged to co-operate fully with the inquiry, as should the leaders of other churches and organisations.
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