Catholic Church Defends Itself at Vic Parlt Inquiry

ABC
April 30, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2013/s3748237.htm

[with audio]

The man in charge of Melbourne Catholic Church's response to child abuse had denied that he discouraged those who came forward with complaints to contact police.

The independent commissioner of the church's Melbourne Response also told the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry that the church did not interfere with a police investigation into child abuse by tipping off a member of the clergy who was under investigation.

Rachel Carbonell has been at the hearing this morning and filed this report.

RACHEL CARBONELL: The Melbourne Response is the Catholic Church's complaints system in Melbourne, which deals with allegations of abuse.

Barrister Peter O'Callaghan has been the lawyer in charge of that system since it was set up in the mid-1990s.

In evidence to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into child abuse this morning Peter O'Callaghan began by defending himself against police criticism of his conduct which was given to the inquiry last year.

In the police submission it was suggested the church never referred complaints to the police.

PETER OCALLAGHAN: Over the years I've had contact with the police I have - contrary to what is said, that I have not referred complaints - the fact is that I've facilitated the referral of complaints by speaking to victims, telling them of their right to report their complaint to the police and encouraging them to exercise the right.

RACHEL CARBONELL: The police evidence last year also suggested the church had alerted alleged offenders to police investigation, an allegation Mr O'Callaghan also defended himself against today.

PETER OCALLAGHAN: The submission rejects the criticisms that are made in it and we submit that the police submission and action is in many aspects plainly wrong and seriously misconceived.

RACHEL CARBONELL: Mr O'Callaghan refuted criticisms previously put to the commission by victims of abuse that he wasn't an independent commissioner of the complaints process as his title suggests - but rather someone paid by the church to act in the interests of the church.

PETER OCALLAGHAN: Royal commissioners are often appointed by governments, in this case the analogy was I'm not a royal commissioner - I never said I was - but I was akin to a royal commissioner in the sense that the government appointing a royal commissioner - this present Victorian Government for instance - the analogy is the government appointing me was the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Now the use of the word independent commissioner was to convey just simply that. And I do not accept that there has been as much puzzlement as there's been put forward about what people or victims thought I was or what I was doing.

RACHEL CARBONELL: Mr O'Callaghan explained to the inquiry how the Melbourne response process worked, saying he accepted the vast majority of the more than 300 complaints he had dealt with.

PETER OCALLAGHAN: There are some who were dissatisfied or had some objection to the process, but they are very much in a minority. And let me make this very clear, there is no doubt about my abhorrence of child sexual abuse - sexual abuse generally - and I have to say this, that no matter how solicitously a complaint is handled, how adequate compensation might be or apology might be; the provision of free counselling and physiological support, the one thing that cannot be eradicated in many cases is the indelible imprint which the fact of the sexual abuse has left upon the person and which has blighted his or her life from the time it happened and continues to do so.

And I don't want to repeat that often but you can please accept that this is the acceptance of how I have seen paedophiles and their activities and the depredation that they reek upon their victims.

ELEANOR HALL: That's barrister Peter O'Callaghan ending that report from Rachel Carbonell in Melbourne.