Top cop didn't know about blind reports

By Eoin Blackwell
West Australian
October 15, 2014

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/national/a/25264321/top-cop-didnt-know-about-blind-reports/

The former head of the NSW child protection squad was unaware of "blind reporting" abuse incidents.

The former head of the NSW child protection squad says he was unaware of a special arrangement between the police and Catholic Church to "blind report" incidents of sexual abuse until this week.

John Heslop, former commander of the Child Protection Enforcement Agency (CPEA), told the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) he didn't know of the arrangement until the inquiry started on Monday.

The commission has heard the church and police had an arrangement of blind reporting, whereby information about abuse allegations would be given by the church to police without key details about the victim, since 1998.

"Are you saying you don't recall it either way," asked counsel assisting Kristina Stern.

"Yes," Mr Heslop said.

The former superintendent was the first head of the CPEA when it was created in 1997 and has been cited as a central figure in the creation of the State Crime Command and the sex crimes squad.

The inquiry this week has heard allegations that key information from abuse victims in blind reports was not always passed on to police.

Mr Heslop couldn't recall if the church's reporting standards were in line with the Crimes Act.

While it was his preference that the church provide details of the victim in its reports, Mr Heslop could not recall ever checking if they did.

He was also asked if he ever enquired into how the church's Professional Standards Office (PSO), which sent the blind reports to police, looked into matters of abuse.

Mr Heslop could not recall.

The PIC is investigating the existence of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between police and the church over how to handle complaints. Mr Heslop agreed he was closely involved in the drawing up of the memo.

During the day the inquiry was shown numerous examples of legal advice to police and church bodies that the proposed memo may breach police responsibilities.

Michael McDonald, a former member of the PSO's support group, the Professional Standards Resource Group (PSRG), said he could not recall a 2003 letter from the Child Protection Enforcement Agency advising that the proposed memo breached police responsibilities.

The commission heard the MOU was raised at a PSRG meeting a month later.

"Do you believe there was any discussion of that matter?" Mr McDonald was asked by Ms Stern.

"I cannot recall," Mr McDonald replied.

Mr McDonald sat on the PSRG at the same time as Inspector Elizabeth Cullen, whose role is being investigated by the PIC.

Mr McDonald did say there was a "general acknowledgment" by members of the PSRG to work with police and said he could recall discussions about the body's responsibilities under the Child Protection Act.