Calls for Royal Commission into Catholic Church

By Hamish Fitzsimmons
ABC News
April 14, 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-13/calls-for-royal-commission-into-catholic-church/3949928?section=vic

[with video]

Victoria Police has criticised the Catholic Church for not referring sexual abuse cases for criminal investigation, with growing calls for a Royal Commission into abuse in the church.

Hamish Fitzsimmons

Transcript

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: Victoria Police has criticised the Catholic Church for not referring sexual abuse cases for criminal investigation. The church says many victims don't want to go to police and it has dealt with hundreds of abuse complaints internally. But now there are calls for a Royal Commission into sexual abuse in the church.

Hamish Fitzsimmons reports from Melbourne.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: Police say the church could do better in referring sex crimes to them for criminal investigation.

GRAHAM ASHTON, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, VICTORIA POLICE: It's not fair to say that they have been holding things back in terms of things we've asked for, but we believe there's also an onus the church when they see matters to let us know about them, rather than wait for victims to come directly to us.

DENIS HART, CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE: I want to make it emphatically clear that the investigation of crimes is a matter for the police. All crimes should be investigated by police, that is their role.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Catholic Church says it has upheld almost 310 abuse cases through its official mechanism called the Melbourne Response; an independent commissioner decides whether complaints should be dismissed or counselling or compensation should be provided.

DENIS HART: When victims come to us we invite them through the independent commissioner of their right to go to police, we encourage them to do so, and if they ask for help we facilitate that.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: And more pressure is building for an inquiry into scores of suicides blamed on sexual abuse by jailed paedophiles Father Gerald Francis Ridsdale and Brother Robert Charles Best.

From people like Stephen Woods who was raped by the men while at school in Ballarat.

STEPHEN WOODS: The healing, the incredible healing needs to start and the Government needs to show authority and it needs to show leadership in this area.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Victoria Police says it's preparing a brief for a wide ranging coronial inquest.

GRAHAM ASHTON: Basically recommending in that report that the coroner examine the broader nature of those suicides and their relevance in relation to the Catholic Church

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: But there may be far more suicides than those centred on Ballarat's abusers.

JUDY COURTIN, LEGAL RESEARCHER: In Gardenvale, I have reports of another ... I'll just say another cluster of suicides at this stage. There's another parish that I haven't yet commenced interviews and I'm hearing reports of more suicides in another parish as well. So it's early days in terms of the research.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Abuse survivors say priests found by the church to be sexually abusing were often moved to another parish so more suicides are unsurprising.

STEPHEN WOODS: Having them being shifted around Victoria and Australia and overseas as soon as any problems come up, I'm not surprised that there are clusters, there are areas that are just prone to so many people suiciding.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: In February a report by retired judge Philip Cummins called for mandatory reporting of sexual abuse allegations, and an independent inquiry into sexual abuse by religious organisations, one that could compel witnesses to give evidence and demand documents.

JUDY COURTIN: These documents relate to very serious crimes, sexual crimes, and they should not be being dealt with by the church. The church cannot investigate itself in that sense.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Victoria's Government says a response to the Cummins Inquiry is imminent.

TED BAILLIEU, VICTORIAN PREMIER: The Cummins Report recommended amongst its many recommendation a further investigation of these matters. The Government has that on the agenda at the moment. The Attorney-General is looking at all of those options and I'm not going to pre-empt an announcement on that.

DENIS HART: If the Government chooses to have an inquiry we will cooperate fully, and I believe that in such an inquiry what we've done in Melbourne and the value of what we've attempted to do will be strongly recognised.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Hamish Fitzsimmons, Lateline.