AUSTRALIA
ABC – PM
Catholic Church Insurance has told the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Child Abuse that since the early 1990s it has paid out about 600 abuse claims at a cost of $30 million. It admitted to the inquiry that in the past it may have given advice to the church not to admit anything when dealing with abuse claims.
Transcript
TIM PALMER: Victoria’s parliamentary inquiry into the institutional handling of child sexual abuse today turned its attention to the way the Catholic Church handled claims of abuse made to it.
The church’s insurer, Catholic Church Insurance, told the inquiry it has paid out $30 million on 600 claims from victims of child abuse in Victoria. It went on to detail how it refused to indemnify a number of clergymen because the church knew of their propensity to sexually abuse children.
Rachel Carbonell reports.
RACHEL CARBONELL: It’s been two days of evidence from orders and organisations of the Catholic Church at the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Child Abuse.
This afternoon it was the Catholic Church Insurance’s turn to answer questions from the committee.
Chief executive Peter Rush told the inquiry that it had paid out claims and cost of counselling to about 600 victims, at a cost of $30 million.
Mr Rush told the inquiry he didn’t believe the church structured itself to avoid paying out compensation.
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