Sexual Abuse Victim Eagerly Awaits Special Commission Findings

ABC News
May 29, 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-30/state-gov-to-receive-findings-from-special-commission-of-inquir/5488284

Sexual abuse victim Peter Gogarty is eager to read Commissioner Margaret Cunneen's findings from the inquiry. (ABC News)

A Hunter Valley man who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest says he is anxious to read the findings of the Special Commission of Inquiry.

The state government launched the inquiry in November 2012 after allegations made by detective inspector Peter Fox

Months of public and private hearings, involving dozens of witnesses were held into claims police and the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Diocese covered up abuse by two Hunter region paedophile priests, James Fletcher and Denis McAlinden.

Commissioner Margaret Cunneen will hand her findings to the Governor Marie Bashir today after requesting three extensions when the witness list lengthened and extra hearings were scheduled.

Commissioner Cunneen looked at the circumstances in which detective inspector Fox was asked to cease investigating, and whether Catholic Church officials hindered the police investigation by alerting alleged offenders or destroying evidence.

Her report will make findings with respect to the terms of reference, but no recommendations.

The report will contain a confidential section on whether there is enough evidence to warrant a prosecution of a specified person.

It will be up to the government when the report is released publicly.

Vacy man Peter Gogarty, who was sexually abused by former priest James Fletcher, says he has been anxiously waiting for the findings to be released and he is hopeful that will happen today.

"That is my understanding, I have it on good authority that the Premier's office has said that they will be releasing it on the Attorney General's website later on this afternoon," he said.

"My understanding is that there will be a portion of the report that will be made public."

Mr Gogarty says people will have to be patient in waiting for action to be taken against those who may have covered up the abuse.

"There'll be a significant part of this report that we won't find out about for some time," he said.

"From the earliest days the Commissioner said she would not do anything that might prejudice the potential for prosecutions down the track, so I'm prepared to wait because it's really important that justice is done in this process."