The sexual, physical and emotional abuse of children by the priests and clergy of the Catholic Church have long been known to occur. I have known people from my own childhood in the care of the government of Queensland. There were many many horror stories. Now the O'Farrell Government of New South Wales has called for an investigation into the church and they are calling for the terms of reference to be widened to take in the entire Catholic Church of Australia. Instead the Government have bowed down to the church once again and have now switched tac's and are now trying to ask for an inquiry into the Police who were investigating the allegations of abuse.
This is outrageous and together with the mining issues the government has this will bring about a complete uprising in the peoples hearts. You cannot do this to abused people like they are those sheep sent to slaughter in Pakistan recently. These are people with thoughts and feelings and by negating every single one of these by switching from the investigation of the Church to the investigation of the Police is reprehensible to say the least.
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| St Mel's Catholic Church, Narrandera, New South Wales, Australia (Photo credit: ausgenjourneys) |
From the AM Program
NSW Govt criticised over abuse inquiry
Emily Bourke reported this story on Saturday, November 10, 2012 08:08:00
ELIZABETH JACKSON: The New South Wales Government's decision to
establish a special commission of inquiry into the police, rather than
the Catholic Church, in relation to allegations of sexual abuse by
priests, has been labelled a decoy.
The announcement of the inquiry by the New South Wales Premier came in response to explosive allegations by a senior detective who claimed the church actively and systematically hampered police investigations into pedophilia in the New South Wales Hunter region.
This morning there are renewed calls for the resignation of Catholic Cardinal George Pell and a nationwide Royal Commission to investigate decades of sexual abuse of children and alleged cover ups by the Catholic church.
Emily Bourke reports.
EMILY BOURKE: The New South Wales inquiry will look at how police handled claims of sexual abuse by priests in the Hunter region after a senior detective detailed allegations of a cover-up by the Catholic Church.
Nationals MP Troy Grant welcomes the special commission of inquiry but he says it's not enough by itself.
TROY GRANT: This inquiry is not the golden panacea to address the broader issues about the Church's response to paedophilia, or their lack of response, and inappropriate response, and their actions to thwart investigations or to interfere. That is most definitely the domain of a national Royal Commission in my view.
EMILY BOURKE: As a police officer in the 1990s, Troy Grant led an investigation in the Newcastle area that uncovered the abuse of 35 people.
He says the leadership of the Catholic Church remains unaccountable.
TROY GRANT: The behaviour of the Church has been consistent back in the 70s right through to the mid-2000s, which is why I've called for the leader of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Pell, to fall on his sword.
He should've and could've done more and done better. I think he's lost the moral right to decide whether the Church's response is now appropriate.
That should be left to a Royal Commission.
EMILY BOURKE: But Troy Grant says a state-based Royal Commission would be half-hearted.
TROY GRANT: The country owns this problem.
These offenders have been moved. There's been a systematic process of them being moved from parish to parish, from state to state, from country to country.
The states do not have the capacity to properly investigate that to get to the bottom of this problem, it has to be at a national level.
EMILY BOURKE: But Frank Brennan, a leading human rights lawyer and Professor of Law at the Australian Catholic University, disagrees.
FRANK BRENNAN: I think a Royal Commission has become something of a platitude.
I think to have a specific inquiry at this stage in relation to the events at Newcastle is helpful in that it helps to focus on an area under diocese where there's obviously been considerable trouble. And to try and get clarity about an appropriate way forward there might then give lessons for other places and for the future.
My concern still about a Royal Commission as such, particularly at a national level, would be that it would be such an open-ended process that whether or not you'd get the same learnings, I just don't know.
EMILY BOURKE: During her trip to Bali this week, the Prime Minister was asked whether it was time for a proper inquiry.
She expressed her concern about the issue but said she'd review the latest revelations when she returns to Australia.
JUDY COURTIN: A Royal Commission is a bit of a no-brainer and should be non-negotiable.
EMILY BOURKE: Judy Courtin is a Melbourne-based lawyer who is researching abuse within the Catholic Church and its response.
JUDY COURTIN: The reasons for a Royal Commission have existed for decades.
What's different now is that there is, after many decades of hundreds and hundreds of people trying to do something about these crimes, finally these victims are being heard, they're being listened to.
I think there is an extraordinary amount of momentum growing for a Royal Commission, and I don't see that there's any other way out.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: Judy Courtin, a Melbourne-based lawyer, ending that report from AM's Emily Bourke.
And we have attempted to contact George Pell this morning and invited him to appear on Saturday AM, but so far our calls haven't been returned.
The announcement of the inquiry by the New South Wales Premier came in response to explosive allegations by a senior detective who claimed the church actively and systematically hampered police investigations into pedophilia in the New South Wales Hunter region.
This morning there are renewed calls for the resignation of Catholic Cardinal George Pell and a nationwide Royal Commission to investigate decades of sexual abuse of children and alleged cover ups by the Catholic church.
Emily Bourke reports.
EMILY BOURKE: The New South Wales inquiry will look at how police handled claims of sexual abuse by priests in the Hunter region after a senior detective detailed allegations of a cover-up by the Catholic Church.
Nationals MP Troy Grant welcomes the special commission of inquiry but he says it's not enough by itself.
TROY GRANT: This inquiry is not the golden panacea to address the broader issues about the Church's response to paedophilia, or their lack of response, and inappropriate response, and their actions to thwart investigations or to interfere. That is most definitely the domain of a national Royal Commission in my view.
EMILY BOURKE: As a police officer in the 1990s, Troy Grant led an investigation in the Newcastle area that uncovered the abuse of 35 people.
He says the leadership of the Catholic Church remains unaccountable.
TROY GRANT: The behaviour of the Church has been consistent back in the 70s right through to the mid-2000s, which is why I've called for the leader of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Pell, to fall on his sword.
He should've and could've done more and done better. I think he's lost the moral right to decide whether the Church's response is now appropriate.
That should be left to a Royal Commission.
EMILY BOURKE: But Troy Grant says a state-based Royal Commission would be half-hearted.
TROY GRANT: The country owns this problem.
These offenders have been moved. There's been a systematic process of them being moved from parish to parish, from state to state, from country to country.
The states do not have the capacity to properly investigate that to get to the bottom of this problem, it has to be at a national level.
EMILY BOURKE: But Frank Brennan, a leading human rights lawyer and Professor of Law at the Australian Catholic University, disagrees.
FRANK BRENNAN: I think a Royal Commission has become something of a platitude.
I think to have a specific inquiry at this stage in relation to the events at Newcastle is helpful in that it helps to focus on an area under diocese where there's obviously been considerable trouble. And to try and get clarity about an appropriate way forward there might then give lessons for other places and for the future.
My concern still about a Royal Commission as such, particularly at a national level, would be that it would be such an open-ended process that whether or not you'd get the same learnings, I just don't know.
EMILY BOURKE: During her trip to Bali this week, the Prime Minister was asked whether it was time for a proper inquiry.
She expressed her concern about the issue but said she'd review the latest revelations when she returns to Australia.
JUDY COURTIN: A Royal Commission is a bit of a no-brainer and should be non-negotiable.
EMILY BOURKE: Judy Courtin is a Melbourne-based lawyer who is researching abuse within the Catholic Church and its response.
JUDY COURTIN: The reasons for a Royal Commission have existed for decades.
What's different now is that there is, after many decades of hundreds and hundreds of people trying to do something about these crimes, finally these victims are being heard, they're being listened to.
I think there is an extraordinary amount of momentum growing for a Royal Commission, and I don't see that there's any other way out.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: Judy Courtin, a Melbourne-based lawyer, ending that report from AM's Emily Bourke.
And we have attempted to contact George Pell this morning and invited him to appear on Saturday AM, but so far our calls haven't been returned.
Images @ Melonpopzdropz Flickr
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