AUSTRALIA
Maitland Mercury
The Newcastle Herald journalist at the centre of a Hunter child sex abuse inquiry said police did not act immediately on documents that revealed the church had warned paedophile priest Denis McAlinden about interfering with children.
Joanne McCarthy said she gave internal church documents that warned McAlinden – one of two priests being investigated by the Special Commission of Inquiry into an alleged child abuse cover-up by the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese – to police.
During cross-examination from her counsel, Winston Terracini SC, Ms McCarthy said the material included a confession from priest Brian Lucas who said he was aware McAlinden had sexually abused children.
“Was there any attempt by the police at this point to interview Lucas?” Mr Terracini asked.
Ms McCarthy replied: “No”.
Ms McCarthy agreed with Mr Terracini’s suggestion the material “tends to indicate the systemic protection of paedophiles”.
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