Paedophiles Crimes Were Concealed, by Susie Smith, ABC

Paedophiles Crimes Were Concealed

By Susie Smith
ABC - Lateline
June 25, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3789592.htm

[with video]

The Newcastle inquiry into a coverup of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church has heard evidence that a senior figure within the Church covered up the crimes of a paedophile priest.

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: The New South Wales Premier's Department has tonight ordered an investigation into the shredding of police and Catholic Church documents by a member of the sex crime squad.

Last week Lateline revealed details of a senior police officer shredding records of meetings she'd had with Catholic Church officials who had been assessing child sex abuse cases. The meetings took place over five years.

Meanwhile the New South Wales inquiry into sexual abuse by the clergy in the Hunter Valley has heard today that a former bishop of Newcastle Maitland released key internal Church documents to a victim triggering one of the biggest police investigations into clergy cover up in Australia.

The special commission of inquiry is investigating allegations by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox of cover ups by police and the Church of child sexual abuse. Susie Smith reports from Newcastle.

SUSIE SMITH, REPORTER: The Fairfax journalist Joanne McCarthy, has been pivotal in exposing clergy abuse in the Hunter for many years. She gave evidence today about internal Catholic Church documents that revealed the Church's attempt back in 1995 to defrock one of the two priests at the centre of this inquiry, Father Denis McAlinden. One of the key church officials named in these documents is the current secretary of the Catholic Bishops conference Father Brian Lucas. Joanne McCarthy told the inquiry the release of these documents to a key witness and sexual abuse victim known as AL was sanctioned by Bishop Michael Malone in 2009. Bishop Malone was the then head of the Maitland Newcastle diocese. During the cross examination about the significance of the documents, the barrister representing Ms McCarthy asked her:

WINSTON TERRACINI, SC: Was there a confession by a priest, Brian Lucas?

JOANNE MCCARTHY, FAIRFAX JOURNALIST: Yes.

SUSIE SMITH: The inquiry heard that Joanne McCarthy gave the documents to police in early 2010 when she understood the relevance of them to a major police investigation. She believed the police were confronted by what was in the documents.

WINSTON TERRACINI: The material that the police and the witness had, obviously showed on its face an attempt to alert McAlinden that if he didn't fall on his sword, the police would be involved and to do the right thing. And then all would be forgotten. If that isn't trying to protect a paedophile, I don't know what is.

JOANNE MCCARTHY: Yes the number of people named in it, it was all in the Hunter.

WINSTON TERRACINI: The priest Lucas knew that McAlinden has been interfering with children and the priest did nothing about it.

JOANNE MCCARTHY: Yes.

SUSIE SMITH: In other evidence the Fairfax journalist criticised claims by the police legal team that she had been the recipient of leaked information from Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox.

WAYNE ROSER, COUNSEL FOR NSW POLICE: Wasn't it the case he was leaking information to you so you could write about it?

JOANNE MCCARTHY: What info? What article? No one yet has been able to pin that down, I'm yet to see the evidence of that.

SUSIE SMITH: Also giving evidence today was Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Humphrey who had been DCI Fox's superior on several occasions. He made a public apology to DCI Fox about a sworn statement he had made to the inquiry, regarding claims that there had been numerous requests to get DCI Fox to hand over critical evidence in his possession for strike force Lantle. He formally removed all these claims from his earlier statement and said:

WAYNE HUMPHREY, DETECTIVE CHIEF INSPECTOR: When this statement was made, it was not fair to Peter Fix and I apologise for that. He was a good detective and I have no animosity towards Peter Fox whatsoever.

SUSIE SMITH: And in new developments, the Director General of Premier and Cabinet has referred an issue about police shredding documents to the Police Integrity Commission. Last week Lateline revealed that a senior serving officer from the sex crime squad was seconded to the Catholic Church to the professional standards resource group from 1998 to 2003. All records of her time in giving advice about clergy abuse had been shredded by the officer at the apparent request of the Catholic Church. The issue surfaced today in the New South Wales Parliament.

MIKE GALLACHER, NSW POLICE MINISTER: I have called for a report from the New South Wales police for this matter which I think from recollection is about eight years old and once I have that report from the New South Wales police force, Mr President, I will then be in a position to make a decision in relation to my action or indeed any action by the Government.

DAVID SHOEBRIDGE, GREENS MLC: Can the Minister please advise the house who within the Police Department will be investigating these actions of other police and what assurances we can have that it will be independent? I'm seeking some elucidation or the police had been tasked, he'd asked the police to do the investigation. And I'm seeking some elucidation from the Minister about who in the police will be undertaking that investigation?

MIKE GALLACHER: Mr President, the Member is trying to verbal me.

SUSIE SMITH: The details of the NSW Police Integrity Commission investigation into the shredding are still being finalised tonight. Susie Smith, Newcastle.