AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
By MICHELLE HARRIS Oct. 14, 2014
Cover-up of abuse denied by Catholic Church’s former standards director John Davoren
THE Catholic Church’s former professional standards director has defended a practice of withholding victims’ names when he reported clergy sex abuse allegations to police, telling an inquiry there was never any attempt at a ‘‘cover-up’’ or a conspiracy with the NSW Police Force.
John Davoren told the Police Integrity Commission on Tuesday that ‘‘police weren’t happy’’ about not being given victims’ identities.
But most complainants would have simply ‘‘got up and walked out’’ rather than raising abuse allegations with the Church if told their details might be later handed over to police.
He also couldn’t recall police telling him to alter the practice.
The procedure, described to the commission as ‘‘blind reporting’’, resembles arrangements set out in a draft memorandum of understanding between the Catholic Church and NSW Police, the terms of which lawyers had warned NSW Police would breach criminal laws.
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