AUSTRALIA
ABC News
The New South Wales Police Integrity Commission has launched Operation Protea to investigate any agreements between the state’s police force and the Catholic Church which may have enabled the church to conceal information about child sexual abuse. Last year, the ABC revealed details of a drafted memorandum of understanding between the police and the Catholic Church and a special arrangement that saw a police officer sit on an internal church panel in charge of handling child abuse allegations against clergy. The inquiry will examine whether there was any police misconduct stemming from any formal or informal agreement with the church.
Transcript
MARK COLVIN: The New South Wales Police Integrity Commission has opened an investigation into agreements between the police force and the Catholic Church which may have enabled the church to conceal information about child sexual abuse.
Last year, the ABC revealed details of a draft memorandum of understanding between the police and the Catholic Church.
There was also a special arrangement that saw a police officer sit on an internal church panel in charge of handling child abuse allegations against the clergy.
The Police Integrity Commission has launched Operation Protea to look at whether there was any police misconduct as a result of any agreement to cooperate with the church.
Emily Bourke reports.
EMILY BOURKE: Exactly 12 months ago, the ABC’s Lateline program reported accusations that the Catholic Church tried to strike a formal agreement with New South Wales Police over how to handle allegations of child sexual abuse and what information would be handed over for investigation.
There are questions over whether this memorandum of understanding was ever signed, approved or even in operation.
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