AUSTRALIA
ABC News
By Charlotte King
A Catholic bishop in regional Victoria has agreed to be sued for sex abuse claims dating back to the 1960s, standing in the place of his long-dead predecessor.
His stance means victims can bring the Ballarat diocese to court over the actions of the previous bishop who is alleged to have presided over child sex abuse.
On January 1 a new set of guidelines came into effect, agreed to by the nation’s 33 Catholic dioceses, and hundreds of religious orders.
They oblige all Church authorities to provide an entity for victims to sue, such as a trustee, even where the person responsible for overseeing the alleged abuse has since died.
In Ballarat, current bishop Paul Bird has volunteered to put himself forward as the defendant.
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