Victims Were My Focus: Journalist Tells Inquiry

By Elle Watson
Maitland Mercury
June 25, 2013

http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/1595510/victims-were-my-focus-journalist-tells-inquiry/?cs=171

Newcastle Herald journalist Joanne McCarthy said Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox told her about internal issues in 2010.

“Bad blood" and internal politics were ongoing in the NSW Police Force at the time a Strike Force was established to investigate concealment of alleged sexual abuse by the Catholic Church, a Special Commission of Inquiry has heard this morning. 

Newcastle Herald journalist Joanne McCarthy said Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox told her about internal issues in 2010, before the establishment of Strike Force Lantle.  

"It was obvious that there were internal political issues, I didn't want to buy into them," Ms McCarthy said. 

"My obligation to the victims was to make sure they were looked after by police ... How police handled the investigation was up to police."

She said Det Chief Insp Fox indicated in emails sent in 2010 he was "desperately keen" to investigate matters of concealment by the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese.

"At that stage he was feeling on the outer and was trying to communicate with officers who weren't responding to him," Ms McCarthy said. "Possibly we were both feeling the same way."

Ms McCarthy denied she colluded with Det Chief Insp Fox to withhold information from officers involved in the strike force.  

She said she was concerned about providing victim details to police after one of the victims complained about treatment from police taking her statement. 

Ms McCarthy later made a formal complaint to the Police Integrity Commission about the matter.  

The special inquiry continues.