"Bumbling" Bishop Admits He Should've Been Stronger
Sydney Morning Herald
Bishop Michael Malone admitted he was ''bumbling'' in his first nine years of dealing with child sex abuse allegations against two priests in his Maitland-Newcastle diocese because he found ''the whole area … so distasteful'' and ''very unpalatable''. The bishop said it was not until 2004, nine years after he became bishop, that he had an ''epiphany'' when an ombudsman's report made it ''obvious that I was not adequately handling these matters''. There were gasps and guffaws from the packed public gallery at Newcastle court on Thursday during Bishop Malone's testimony at the state government inquiry into alleged police and church cover-ups of paedophile priest activity in the Hunter Valley. He expressed regret for his actions several times and said he retired in 2011 because the matters he had to deal with had made him ''very tired''. Advertisement He agreed with counsel assisting the inquiry Julia Lonergan SC that in 2002, after seven years of being bishop, he still thought the church was ''being attacked by vulnerable people who were trying to embarrass it'' by alleging child sexual abuse. ''Yes, I have a lot of regrets'', Bishop Malone said. He acknowledged he may have hindered a police investigation when he made a ''spontaneous'' visit to the suspect priest James Fletcher in June 2002, tipping him off about a police investigation and telling him the victim's name. But he said his intention had been to trigger an admission from Fletcher. He said he was ''shocked'' when it was pointed out to him that Fletcher may have destroyed evidence as a result. The inquiry has heard detective chief inspector Peter Fox had strongly urged the bishop to stand Fletcher down from his priestly duties during the investigation in case he posed a risk to children. The bishop said he had ''requested'' Fletcher to stand aside ''but he objected''. He testified that he now wishes he had been stronger. He also acknowledged he had expanded Fletcher's responsibilities to include the parish of Lochinvar as well as Branxton, giving the priest access to two more schools, even as the police investigation proceeded. He said this was ''nothing to do with Fletcher'' but ''because we had no one to put into Lochinvar'' because of a priest shortage. He agreed that although he had warned the principal of the school at Branxton that Fletcher was under suspicion and should not be allowed to be alone with children, he had not similarly warned the heads of the two schools in Lochinvar. Ms Lonergan suggested he thought it better to put in a man accused of paedophilia than to have no priest there. Bishop Malone replied: ''That is a bit strong but I take your point''. James Fletcher was subsequently convicted on nine charges of sexually abusing a boy over several years and died in jail in 2006. The inquiry continues.
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