AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
JOANNE MCCARTHY
04 Aug, 2012
The state government must hold a royal commission into child sex abuse within the Catholic Church. Comment by Joanne McCarthy.
LAST Saturday I sent an email to a fair number of Australia’s bishops after Maitland-Newcastle Bishop Bill Wright acknowledged growing calls for a royal commission into the Catholic Church’s handling of child sex abuse cases, and said he was ‘‘broadly supportive’’ of a public inquiry.
I asked one question: ‘‘Do you support a royal commission into the church’s handling of child sex abuse cases?’’
A Victorian bishop responded fairly quickly, saying he was willing to assist that state’s parliamentary inquiry into church abuse matters. He didn’t respond to my follow-up question: ‘‘But not a royal commission?’’
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