Church Abuse Response "Flawed"

Sky News
January 22, 2014

http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=944035

Michael Salmon, who heads the office in NSW and the ACT, has come under intense questioning at a Sydney hearing about the application of the church's Towards Healing protocol - an internal process that abuse complainants can opt to engage in.

Mr Salmon was the facilitator in two cases that have been considered by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

In a hearing that opened in December, the commission heard that the application of Towards Healing varied widely and some abuse victims found it legalistic and intimidating.

It has also emerged that compensation payouts varied widely and were heavily influenced by Catholic Church insurers.

Commission chair Justice Peter McClellan put it to Mr Salmon that victims telling stories of immense grief might, in retrospect, find a system where the facilitator-mediator was appointed by the church to be flawed.

Mr Salmon insisted that he saw his role as facilitator to act in the interests of the victims and get the best outcome for them, but could see how it could be potentially perceived as unfair.

Justice McClellan replied: 'It is a potentiality that should not be allowed to occur.... There seems to be a real conflict.'

Mr Salmon said the church usually received the approval of the person who made the complaint.

Gail Furness, senior counsel advising the commission, pointed out that in two of the cases before the commission - that of Jennifer Ingham who was abused by a priest in Lismore and a man, DK, who was abused by a Marist brother - no agreement in writing was sought for Mr Salmon to act as facilitator.

She also put it to him that putting the onus on victims to approve a church facilitator was akin to asking them to re-enter the jaws of the abuser.

Ms Ingham was awarded $265,000 and DK $88,000.

When the hearing opened in Sydney on Wednesday Mr Salmon was questioned on whether his office kept statistics on payouts and on the perpetrators of abuse.

He said they did not keep statistics on the sources of funds for compensation but did report on cumulative payouts.

They always recorded the names of the alleged abusers.

The hearing continues.