Churches' Hidden Sins to Finally Be Revealed
Herald Sun
THE timing was unintentional, but somewhat uncanny. Just minutes both before and after the announcement of a royal commission into sexual abuse of children, NSW police arrested two former Catholic school employees in relation to alleged assaults against children at western Sydney schools dating back 25 years. The arrests, made as part of the Sex Crimes Squad's Strike Force Avia, relate to claims of the sexual assault of two 13-year-old boys in 1987, and one girl, aged eight, in 1985. Police will allege a number of incidents took place on school grounds at a Catholic college in Bankstown and a Catholic primary school at Lalor Park. Police last night arrested a 58-year-old former Catholic teacher at his Blacktown home, while a 59-year-old Catholic brother was arrested at an address at The Entrance. No charges have been laid, and both men are assisting police with their inquiries. Meanwhile, the man who last week begged for a royal commission into the sexual abuse of children by members of religious institutions, said his prayers had been answered. Christian cop Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox said God would want the abuse of children in the Catholic Church and other religious institutions stopped. He spoke out last week claiming church cover-ups, the hindering of police investigations, offenders being alerted to investigations, the destruction of evidence and the moving of offending priests. "I am a Christian, I believe in God. I was praying for a royal commission," Insp Fox said yesterday. He said the practice of a priest confessing to a peer in a confessional without the ability for sex-abuse allegations to be reported to police had to come to an end. "Nothing should prevent (police being told). God wouldn't prevent that," Insp Fox said. In one case the 35-year veteran policeman investigated, the Catholic Church allowed a suspected paedophile priest to continue working on school grounds until he was charged. Insp Fox was pleased the commission would look at all church groups, public entities and private groups. He said it should extend to Islamic practices of female genital mutilation of young girls, even where they were removed from Australia for the procedure. Government whip Joel Fitzgibbon, a Catholic whose electorate covers the Hunter Valley, where Insp Fox is from, had joined calls for a royal commission before one was announced last night by Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He said only a royal commission could provide victims with the assurance that no crimes had gone unpunished. Victim of Catholic Church abuse John McNally, 58, said the royal commission was needed to expose "the huge cover up that has been going on for such a long time". Mr McNally said last night Ms Gillard's announcement "vindicates what we have been saying for 20 years".
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