Church Leader Evasive on Abuse: Inquiry

Big Pond News
January 23, 2013

bigpondnews.com/articles/National-Regional/2013/01/23/Church_leader_evasive_on_abuse_inquiry_838348.html

A former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne became hostile and evasive when confronted with an allegation of sexual abuse involving a priest, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Archbishop Frank Little was told of allegations against a priest in the 1970s, former priest Phil O'Donnell told the Victorian parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday.

Mr O'Donnell said the parents of the child spoke to Archbishop Little about the abuse.

'It is fair to say that they received a very cold welcome,' he said.

Mr O'Donnell said the parents described the response from Archbishop Little as 'evasive', while a lawyer and magistrate also went to the archbishop and he was 'hostile' towards them.

Archbishop Little said he did not believe the allegations, Mr O'Donnell told the inquiry.

He said the Archdiocese of Melbourne had known about allegations of sexual abuse by clergy since at least the 1950s.

Mr O'Donnell, who was a priest from 1969-1999, told the inquiry he has an ongoing legal battle with the Melbourne Archdiocese and is prevented from speaking about the matter outside the inquiry.

Archbishop Little died in April 2008.

Earlier on Wednesday, the president of Catholics for Renewal Peter Johnstone told the inquiry that mandatory reporting of abuse by all people involved in the church was 'absolutely essential'.

He said the church should only make absolution of sins for clergy admitting to abuse if those clergy self-reported to police.

Mr Johnstone said it was hard to imagine there would be opposition to mandatory reporting from anyone other than the church.

The inquiry by the state government's family and community development committee is continuing.