Sex Abuse Claims Badly Handled: Abbott

WA Today
July 12, 2012

http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-national/sex-abuse-claims-badly-handled-abbott-20120712-21xqb.html

Allegations of past sexual abuse by members of the Catholic Church have been appallingly handled, opposition leader Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott, a prominent Catholic, says a series of allegations which are only now coming to light are "absolutely horrific" but he believes things have improved since the abuse occurred.

"There's no doubt that these things have been appallingly badly handled in the past," he told the Macquarie Radio Network on Thursday.

"Thank God we're now alive to these things and much, much better, though still far from perfect, at dealing with them.

"My impression is that things are infinitely better."

Mr Abbott was commenting following allegations of serial sexual abuse of children in NSW by some members of the church during the 1970s and 80s, and of senior Catholic figures failing to pass the information to authorities.

Specifically, allegations have emerged in relation to a former NSW Catholic priest, known in media reports as "Father F", and a former teacher at a Catholic school.

It was claimed on Monday that Father F abused a former altar boy in the 1980s.

An internal Catholic Church report dated August 2011 has also substantiated allegations by former student Robert Lipari that he was abused by a former teacher at a NSW Catholic School between 1976 and 1977.

Earlier reports aired on ABC TV alleged that Father F raped young boys in Moree in the 1980s before being transferred to a parish in Parramatta where he continued to sodomise altar boys.