Abuse Royal Commission Not Needed - Pell

Sky News
November 11, 2012

http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=814839


Australia's most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, is reportedly deeply ashamed at child sex abuse perpetrated by members of the church but doesn't believe a royal commission is warranted.

The Archbishop of Sydney accepts that children were abused by priests and that the crimes were covered up by other clergy but believes the Catholic church is no worse than other organisations, News Limited reports.

'It wasn't just the Catholic church that hoped (an abusive priest) would amend their conduct and give them a home elsewhere,' he told the Weekend Australian.

'Back in those days, they were entitled to think of pedophilia as simply a sin that you would repent of. They didn't realise that in the worst cases it was an addiction, a raging addiction.'

The church had rid itself of 'a great deal of moral cancer' after abuse claims came to light, he said.

His comments came as NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell announced a special commission to investigate allegations of child sex abuse by Catholic church clergy in the Hunter region.

The commission will be run by prosecutor Margaret Cunneen, SC, and will examine allegations made by a senior serving police officer of child sex abuse at the hands of Catholic priests in the Newcastle area.

It will also look into alleged cover-ups by members of the church and the police force.

The special commission has been criticised as too limited by NSW opposition parties and by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, the police officer whose public calls for a royal commission prompted the inquiry.

A separate parliamentary inquiry into clergy child abuse allegations is under way in Victoria.