Former Vic Bishop Says He Acted on Abuse

The 9 News
December 9, 2013

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/12/09/00/04/fmr-vic-bishop-says-he-acted-on-abuse

A former Catholic bishop found by an inquiry to have moved abusing priests from parish to parish says he took action against the priests by sending them to counselling.

Father Ronald Mulkearns, who has also been accused of destroying documents, says he did not appear at the Victorian child abuse inquiry because he does not remember what happened, the Herald Sun reports.

The newspaper tracked Fr Mulkearns down in a coastal Victorian town and says he still conducts mass and lives an active lifestyle.

"To say I took no action is wrong," the 83-year-old told the paper.

"I sent them for counselling. I can't help it if they blame me for what happened.

"I didn't go (to the inquiry) because I would've been no good - I don't remember."

Giving evidence to the inquiry in May, Cardinal George Pell said he had discovered "in the last few weeks" that Fr Mulkearns, who was a bishop in Ballarat, had destroyed documents.

Another former Ballarat bishop, Peter Connors, told the inquiry Bishop Mulkearns destroyed two documents, both relating to psychological reports for a priest.

Current Ballarat bishop Paul Bird said at the inquiry Fr Mulkearns decided against appearing because he had recently suffered a stroke and had poor long-term memory.