Hart Pledges to Stamp out Clergy Abuse
Courier Mail
MELBOURNE Archbishop Denis Hart has pledged to ensure no new cases of child sex abuse emerge from the Catholic Church. He says this commitment is shared by all bishops and religious leaders. "I take responsibility for ensuring there is no re-emergence of child sexual abuse in the church," Archbishop Hart said on Friday. "I speak on behalf of my fellow bishops and religious institute leaders when I say that we all share this commitment." Speaking at a gathering of religious leaders in Melbourne, Archbishop Hart reiterated his apology to victims of clergy abuse and his faith in the church's processes for dealing with abuse in the archdiocese, the Melbourne Response. "Many priests have been stood down and removed from contact with children, many have been reported to police, and most importantly, no priest who has been dealt with through the process has reoffended against children," he said. He acknowledged failures of the past but said the church had changed and would act swiftly if the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into abuse revealed any new wrongdoing or cover-up. "We have changed," Archbishop Hart said. "We are committed to being open and transparent."
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