Bishop "Played down" Priest Abuse to Defend Catholic Church, Inquiry Hears

By Dan Box
The Australian
July 12, 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/bishop-played-down-priest-abuse-to-defend-catholic-church-inquiry-hears/story-e6frg6nf-1226678469434

Bishop Michael Malone leaves the Newcastle hearing into child sexual abuse. Picture: Peter Lorimer Source: The Daily Telegraph

A CATHOLIC bishop has said he attempted to "play down" allegations his priests were sexually abusing children and did not fully cooperate with police for years in an attempt to defend the church.

Giving evidence to the NSW special commission of inquiry this morning, the former Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Michael Malone, said "there is a tendency to want to defend the organisation to which you belong.

"These issues of sexual abuse were impinging on the stability of the church. I regretted that and in my early time (as bishop) tried to prevent that causing damage ... by trying to play it down a little."

Asked if he had always assisted police, Bishop Malone said: "Certainly in latter years I have. In those early years, as the matters were first beginning to surface, it wasn't an easy thing to do."

When NSW Police asked his office for information about one priest, Denis McAlinden, in 2002, the inquiry heard they were given two addresses in the UK, despite Bishop Malone believing him to be living in Western Australia at the time.

Bishop Malone also told the inquiry he did not follow up a suggestion from the Archbishop of Perth, Barry Hickey, that he contact police to help locate McAlinden who he knew to have admitted abusing young girls.

It also took the bishop several years to pass on other reports of alleged abuse by McAlinden to the church's Professional Standards Office, which could then refer them to police, the inquiry heard.

Bishop Malone said his position on the issue changed after a 2004 report from the NSW Ombudsman criticised his decision not to stand down another priest accused of sexually abusing a child.

Even after this, a "closeted culture" relating to child sexual abuse by priests "was still alive and well in many sections of the church," Bishop Malone said.

He subsequently issued a formal apology but continued to encounter "resistance" and "non-cooperation" from priests over the issue until he retired.

"I think there were a number of people hoping I'd just go away," he said.