By Lexi Metherell
ABC News
December 3, 2009
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/03/2761185.htm?section=justin
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| Victims say an urgent review of the way the archdiocese deals with abuse claims is needed |
The Catholic Church's own investigator of sexual abuse in Melbourne has leaked details of a secret police investigation to the priest under scrutiny.
It is not the first time that it has happened and abuse victims say an urgent review of the way the archdiocese deals with abuse claims is needed.
For 13 years Peter O'Callaghan QC has been investigating claims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Melbourne as part of the so-called 'Melbourne Response'.
The church describes him as an independent commissioner but he is paid by the Melbourne Archdiocese.
The Melbourne Response has come under fire in the past and now there are more concerns after a revelation in The Age newspaper that he tipped off a priest to the fact that he was under investigation by police.
Detective Inspector Glenn Davies, the head of Victoria Police's sexual crimes squad, told The Age he would prefer that officers could notify suspects in their own time.
He has encouraged victims to come forward to the police.
"If any person has been a victim of a sexual assault then they should come forward to the police," he said.
"We'll investigate those claims and we are well-equipped to do so."
Priest forewarned
In 2007, Mr O'Callaghan told priest Paul Pavlou he was under police investigation. Pavlou has now been convicted of abuse and possession of child pornography.
But in a statement, the Melbourne Archdiocese says its standard practice is to forewarn priests when police become involved and the independent commissioner withdraws from the case.
But abuse victims' groups say that is not good enough.
Helen Last, from the advocacy group In Good Faith and Associates, says there are many people who are very disapproving of Mr O'Callaghan's actions and claim that they have been harmed by it.
"We have a collective of 37 people, now including professional people supporting victims and survivors, saying that is their experience over the last 13 years," she said.
"We are calling for an instant review of it because the way it's operating is certainly not in accordance with the law of the land.
"We've seen that the Melbourne Response structure and set-up seems to prejudice the situation for investigations when victims do go to the police.
"We've had to work very hard to support these victims; I believe inappropriately hard."
The archdiocese says it has never received a complaint from police about the way it handles sexual abuse claims.
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