Police to Pass 'Abuse' Death Details to Coroner

By Henrietta Cook and Maris Beck
The Age
April 13, 2012

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/police-to-pass-abuse-death-details-to-coroner-20120413-1wxz2.html

[with video]

Police are compiling a report for the coroner on suicides linked to sexual abuse in the Catholic church but say a broader inquiry into clergy abuse is a matter for the government.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton said the investigation was close to making a recommendation and would deliver a report to the coroner in the next few weeks.

"What no doubt the coroner and the government are wrestling with at the moment is what's the best outcome for victims," he said.

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"It may be a public inquiry or it may not, what we have to make sure from our side of things as the police, is we are providing the best possible prosecutions in all cases."

He made the comments following an exclusive report in The Age today that reveals secret police reports detail the suicides of at least 40 people sexually abused by Catholic clergy in Victoria.

Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart told a press conference late today that he had read about the report in the media and called for "a proper investigation of any suicides".

Archbishop Hart said he did not believe the church's behaviour had contributed to suicides, but he conceded that "in the past there have been some failures".

He said Deputy Police Commissioner Ashton had written to the church after a meeting in September "acknowledging that the reporting and recording of any crime by a member of my staff is a matter for us to manage in accordance with the law and natural justice".

When asked about these remarks, Archbishop Hart declined to answer any further questions on the subject.

He said he "emphatically" agreed that the investigation of crimes was a matter for police and said he was concerned to "to protect the welfare and wellbeing of victims".

"There is no doubt that in the past, the church failed some victims terribly ... we have nothing to hide," he said.

Archbishop Hart said the suicides reported today were in Ballarat and outside of his jurisdiction.

"I am aware that there is the possibility of a small number of suicides in Melbourne. I don't have details."

When asked about the Gardenvale suicides, he said: "I am not aware specifically of those matters."

He said the "great majority" of victims did not want to go to police.

"I believe that with regard to victims obviously the church has got to ... walk with victims but it is always to the extent to which they will let us, you see. That is the challenge.

"Suicide is wrong. But you've got to look further than simply to say this is right that is wrong. Often a person is suffering so terribly that life becomes not worth living and there is no purpose in life and in a desperate act to end the suffering, they suicide. So I would be very slow to condemn anyone."

Premier Ted Baillieu and Attorney-General Robert Clarke are under renewed pressure to launch an inquiry following the revelations.

The confidential police reports say the church was aware of the alarmingly high rate of suicides and premature deaths but has "chosen to remain silent".

Mr Baillieu hinted at an inquiry into sexual abuse within the Catholic clergy on ABC local radio this morning.

"That is something we're examining the options on now," he said. "The Attorney [General] is looking at this very carefully and we have a group of senior ministers who are looking at these issues.

"There are a number of recommendations out of the Cummins Inquiry and we'll be dealing with those and there will be some announcements about some of those quite shortly."

The report by retired Supreme Court judge Phillip Cummins focused on vulnerable childeren and made a number of recommendations about Victorian churches' handling of sex crimes.

Deputy Commissioner Ashton said an earlier report sent to their coroner liaison office was being re-written with more details.

"They are currently not with the coroner because we wanted to do some more work to flesh out the detail in the report. At the moment it's a series of listed names."

He said the initial report recommended the coroner examine "the broader nature of those suicides and their relevance in relation to the Catholic church."

"We're not yet saying that we do need a coronial inquiry," he said.

"But if we find there are systemic links and deaths, no matter where they occurred, or there are broader issues that need to be fixed in relation to ensuring that further deaths don't occur, then it's our responsibility to make sure the coroner is aware of those facts."

Deputy Commissioner Ashton said the issue was widespread and said the church needed to pass information about abuse directly to police.

"We believe there is also an onus on the church when they see matters to let us know about them rather than wait for victims to come directly to us."

A spokesman for the Melbourne Catholic Archdiocese last night said: "The only information the Archdiocese of Melbourne has about such suicides is what has appeared in the media. We don't have access to any information that links suicides with sexual abuse."