Police Ordered Not to Talk to Journalist

Newcastle Herald
May 6, 2013

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1482543/police-ordered-not-to-talk-to-journalist/?cs=305

JOANNE McCarthy was ‘‘the genesis’’ of a police strikeforce set up to investigate the Catholic Church’s alleged cover-up of paedophile priests, an inquiry was told on Monday.

But the Newcastle Herald journalist was largely ignored by senior police, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox told the inquiry, and police were ordered not to talk to her.

At a meeting of senior police in December 2010, Mr Fox and other officers were gagged from talking to the media.

Mr Fox suggested police should involve McCarthy in their investigation because ‘‘she knows more about this issue than this entire room put together’’.

‘‘She is the be-all and end-all on this matter,’’ he said. ‘‘She has all the information and all the witnesses ... it would be silly to cut her out.

‘‘Joanne McCarthy was the genesis of how Strikeforce Lantle came into being and she also helped to steer witnesses to come forward.

Mr Fox came under heavy fire during yesterday’s proceedings as to why he was keeping close contact with McCarthy and was asked to explain a series of emails between the two.

‘‘I didn’t see it as something being provided to Ms McCarthy,’’ he said. ‘‘She had a vast amount of information, far more than any police officer had. This is a situation where anything Ms McCarthy was told, she already knew.’’

Asked if he kept McCarthy updated with progress on his investigation, Mr Fox replied ‘‘yes’’.

‘‘She had forged a close bond with people who had made complaints. And I treated her as a complainant, as I would with any other complainant,’’ he said.

‘‘Whether the police liked it or not, people [victims of abuse] trusted her.’’

McCarthy, who was recently named Australian Journalist of the Year for her investigations into the Catholic Church, will be the third witness called to front the inquiry, possibly as early as today.