Detective Peter Fox "Jeopardised Inquiry by Leaking Abuse Victim Statement"

By Dan Box
The Australian
May 16, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/detective-peter-fox-jeopardised-inquiry-by-leaking-abuse-victim-statement/story-e6frg6nf-1226644516190

A DETECTIVE who claimed to be blowing the whistle on church child abuse has endangered the victims of crime by leaking a confidential witness statement to the press, an inquiry has heard.

Giving evidence to the NSW Special Commission of Inquiry this morning, one of the state's most experienced investigators, Paul Jacob, said the decision, by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, could have jeopardised the police inquiry.

"It may affect the security of the investigation,"Detective Inspector Jacob said. "It may affect the security of the victims when they are giving evidence.

"If I was a defence barrister ... that would be a huge feeding ground of opportunity for me to attack that victim's credibility.

"In my view that endangers victims of crime when we should be doing everything we can to put usable material before the court."

The inquiry, before Margaret Cunneen SC, was established in response to claims made by Detective Fox that he was told to stop investigating two pedophile priests from the Newcastle diocese, Jim Fletcher and Denis McAlinden and whether the crimes had been covered up by the church.

In an ABC interview last year, the policeman said he was "ordered to stand down" from the investigation into Father McAlinden.

The inquiry has heard that Detective Fox was never part of the police Strike Force established to investigate alleged cover-ups by senior clergy of the crimes committed by these men.

Instead, Detective Fox pursued his own, private, investigation into Father McAlinden, the inquiry has heard, working closely with a local reporter, Joanne McCarthy.

During his private inquiry the policeman emailed Ms McCarthy a copy of a witness statement given by one of the priest's victims, who cannot be named.

He continued to leak confidential information to Ms McCarthy, the inquiry has heard, after being ordered not to contact her by his senior officers.

The police Strike Force investigating the alleged cover-up has accumulated about 5000 documents, the inquiry heard. A copy of this brief of evidence has been provided to the office of the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, who will consider whether to pursue criminal charges.