Catholic Church Paid $30m to Child Abuse Victims

By Danny Morgan and Rachel Carbonnell
7 News
April 30, 2013

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/16946817/catholic-church-paid-30m-to-child-abuse-victims/

The insurers of the Catholic Church say they have paid out $30 million to about 600 victims of child sexual abuse in Victoria.

The church's insurance arm, Catholic Church Insurance (CCI), has appeared before the Victorian inquiry into child sexual abuse.

The payments relate to abuses committed mainly in the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

A submission by the insurance group's chief executive officer, Peter Rush, states the CCI paid compensation and the cost of counselling.

The submission also says CCI has never provided cover to any person who has committed an act of sexual abuse of a child, in either a civil or criminal context.

Earlier, the lawyer who ran the Catholic Church's complaints system in Melbourne denied allegations he interfered in a police investigation into child sexual assault.

In evidence to the inquiry last year, police alleged the independent commissioner of the Church's Melbourne Response, Peter O'Callaghan, tipped off a member of the clergy who was under investigation.

Mr O'Callaghan has been the lawyer in charge of the complaints system since it was set up in 1996.

At the inquiry Mr O'Callaghan defended his conduct and said the police evidence was seriously misconceived.

He told the inquiry the police submission was a farce.

"We submit that the police submission and action is in many aspects plainly wrong and seriously misconceived," he said.

He also rejected the police submission suggesting the church never referred complaints to police.

"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," he said.

Mr O'Callaghan's independence was also questioned.

He is paid by the church but says he operates independently.

Mr O'Callaghan was asked by committee chairwoman Georgie Crozier whether officials and lawyers for the Archdiocese of Melbourne had input into his submission to the inquiry.

"Did you and your instructing solicitor and business manager assist you in putting these documents together?" the chairwoman asked.

Mr O'Callaghan replied: "Yes, certainly. But the document is mine."