Minister on Warpath over Shredded Papers

By Dan Box
The Australian
June 21, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/minister-on-warpath-over-shredded-papers/story-e6frgczx-1226667127486

THE NSW Police Minister has written to the force asking for an urgent briefing after it emerged a senior officer had shredded paper records of her meetings with Catholic church officials to discuss child sex abuse.

As reported last night by the ABC's Lateline, the minister, Michael Gallacher, has asked for an explanation of the actions of Inspector Beth Cullen, who spent five years working as the police representative on the church's NSW/ACT Professional Standards Resource Group.

In response to a freedom of information request, NSW Police said it could not provide documents relating to her work with the group, which met monthly to discuss allegations of child sex abuse by priests.

"Inspector Beth Cullen . . . shredded hard copies of meeting material after each meeting. Furthermore, Inspector Cullen did not keep any documentation in relation to her work on the PSRG," the letter reads.