Catholic Church Can't Be Trusted to Conduct Internal Investigations: Parliamentary Inquiry

By Michelle Ainsworth
The Australian
November 9, 2012

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/catholic-church-cant-be-trusted-to-conduct-internal-investigations-parliamentary-inquiry/story-e6frg6n6-1226513759408

SEXUAL crimes police and victim advocates say the Catholic Church cannot be trusted to conduct internal investigations and eliminate child sexual abuse.

Speaking at the inquiry into child sexual abuse by church officials, Patrick Tidmarsh, an adviser with Victoria Police's Sexual Offences Child Sexual Abuse Investigations Team, said church investigations, even by independent investigators, would be swayed from justice.

"I don't think they should be investigating themselves - that is absolutely the number one issue," Mr Tidmarsh said.

"That crucial independence must surely be absent. You can call somebody independent but that doesn't mean they are so."

Wayne Chamley, an honorary researcher with victims support group Broken Rites, condemned the church's handling of the scandal.

"I regard the situation in the Catholic Church on this issue as one of true anarchy," Dr Chamley said.

He said it appeared the church had attempted to cover up crimes, as priests had been moved between parishes, interstate and overseas, when bishops and the church hierarchy had been aware of allegations of abuse.

It had also not referred a single allegation to police.

"So many people who have experienced predation by these animals don't ever disclose it because they can't trust anyone," Dr Chamley said.

"Sixty per cent of (victims), I believe, have got post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I'd say 90 per cent have entrenched psychiatric illness, undiagnosed, untreated."

Dr Chamley questioned whether the St John of God organisation was fit to operate in Victoria, after he revealed claims that a paedophile ring had operated in two of its homes from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Australian Childhood Foundation chief Joe Tucci called for two major law reforms.

The first was to make it a crime not to report an incident of child sexual abuse.

The second was to introduce an offence of "grooming" a child.

"Grooming is the stage before procurement," Dr Tucci said.

"It's the stage that sets the groundwork. It sets the relationship, it subverts and exploits the relationship between an adult and a child, and allows the sexual abuse to occur."