Church Culture of Abuse Denial -priest

Big Pond News
February 15, 2013

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National/2013/02/15/Church_culture_of_abuse_denial_-priest_845981.html

A Catholic priest says the church has a culture of denial in dealing with victims of sexual abuse.

Church culture of abuse denial -priest

Friday, February 15, 2013 » 05:47pm

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A Catholic priest says the church has a culture of denial in dealing with victims of sexual abuse.

A Catholic priest says the church has a culture of denial in dealing with victims of sexual abuse.

A Catholic priest says the church has a culture of denial and asset protection in dealing with victims of sexual abuse.

Geelong-based priest Father Kevin Dillon has told the Victorian parliamentary committee into sexual abuse within religious organisations that there is 'extraordinary denial' within the church hierarchy about sexual abuse.

'I think of the riding instructions to protect the church's good name ... (and) protect their assets,' he told the inquiry on Friday.

'I think often the church works with a lack of accountability.'

Fr Dillon said the church's system of dealing with victims needed to be overhauled.

'I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think they should have any choice,' he said.

'(The systems) have lost all credibility to victims and are beyond repair.'

Most of the gallery at the public hearing in Geelong burst into applause at the end of Fr Dillon's testimony.

Inquiry chair Georgie Crozier MP announced the deadline for the inquiry reporting to parliament has been extended until September 30.

'I always said that our committee was focused on conducting a thorough inquiry and not a hasty inquiry,' she said on Friday.

The inquiry was to report back to parliament by the end of April.

The committee is expected to hear from a number of clerical abuse victims later on Friday.