AUSTRALIA
Vatican Insider
Australian police in collaboration with the Catholic Church, have launched a new inquiry into cases of paedophilia
Vatican Insider staff
Rome
The Australian Catholic Church has launched a new inquiry into cases of sex abuse against minors which occurred in two parishes in New South Wales in the early 80’s. This is after the publication of a detailed document, which states that three of Australia’s most distinguished prelates failed to report a series of serious paedophilia cases which a priest – known only as Fr. F – had admitted to in person. Apparently they did not report him to authorities for legal reasons.
Meanwhile, State police is investigating into the affair in order to establish whether the three prelates committed a crime which could be punishable with a two year prison sentence, for not reporting the cases to the police.
Fr. F was arrested in 1987 on charges of committing acts of paedophilia in the Catholic parish of Moree. He was put on trial but the judge dismissed the case before allowing the jury to examine him, claiming that the credibility of one of the victims, who was 15 at the time, could not be set against that of a priest. Fr. F therefore continued his ministry in the parish of Paramatta, in Sydney, where he sexually molested two altar boys.
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