AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX From: The Australian May 17, 2013
A NSW detective who claimed to be blowing the whistle on the investigation of sex abuse in the Catholic Church may himself have hindered any prosecution and endangered a pedophile victim, an inquiry has heard.
The NSW special commission of inquiry has heard the detective, Peter Fox, leaked to a Fairfax reporter, Joanne McCarthy, a copy of a confidential witness statement given by the victim.
Giving evidence to the inquiry in Newcastle yesterday, one of the state’s most experienced investigators, Paul Jacob, said this leak could have jeopardised an investigation into the alleged cover-up of church child abuse.
“If I was a defence barrister . . . that would be a huge feeding ground of opportunity for me to attack that victim’s credibility,” said Detective Inspector Jacob, the manager of the NSW Police Sex Crimes Squad.
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