Leaders Join Forces on Inquiry

By Michelle Grattan
The Age
November 13, 2012

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/calls-to-end-secrecy-of-confession-20121113-29ai2.html

St Stanislaus College: Former priests, chaplains and teachers are under investigation or have faced court over child sexual abuse that allegedly involved up to 40 boys. Photo by Peter Rae

CABINET Minister Bill Shorten said the royal commission on child sex abuse must address the controversial issue of whether priests should be legally compelled to report evidence of abuse they hear in the confessional.

Priestly ''privilege'' is likely to be hotly debated when the commission, announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Monday, starts.

Mr Shorten, who strongly urges a general system of mandatory reporting, said: ''What immunity can you claim when it comes to the safety and protection of little children?

''When it comes to the abuse of children, that privilege, if it ever had validity, is well and truly exhausted.''

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New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell, a Catholic, also questioned confessional privilege. He said he struggled to understand how, ''[If] a priest confesses to another priest that he has been involved in paedophile activities, that that information should not be brought to police.''

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu supported mandatory reporting but said there had been ''a separate issue'' about the confessional. This would be looked at by the Victorian inquiry into abuse and he expected it would be raised through the commission.

Senior federal Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne, who is Catholic, bought into the debate about the confessional on Tuesday night, declaring priests should report to the police child sex abuse crimes revealed in the confessional.

Mr Shorten said Victoria police supported mandatory reporting and state law should be changed to bring it in. Police should not be obstructed by institutions failing to report matters, and it was important institutions understood that internal processes were no substitute for police investigation.

Mr Shorten said his own strong views had been influenced by the fact his family had for years attended the Sacred Heart parish in Oakleigh, served by notorious paedophile priest Kevin O'Donnell. He said thousands of Australians had been victims of sexual abuse, ''and too many haven't received a real apology, atonement or recompense''.

Documents that showed what had happened should be made publicly available by the inquiry, he said.

In a rare example of bipartisan collaboration between the two leaders, Ms Gillard will consult Tony Abbott on the terms of reference for the commission. She again stressed the inquiry should run as long as needed.

Government whip Joel Fitzgibbon said it could take a decade - it would be ''a big and slow-moving beast'' - but independent senator Nick Xenophon said it should have a two-year limit. Mr Abbott said the commission was an important step towards healing. ''We want it to do its work well.''

■The Prime Minister's Department said those wanting their details passed on to the commission's secretariat could phone 1800 099 340.