AUSTRALIA
ABC – Lateline
[with video]
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 24/06/2013
Reporter: Emma Alberici
The NSW special commission of inquiry into child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church resumed in Newcastle and heard both praise and criticism for the police officer who sparked the inquiry Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox.
Transcript
EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church resumed today in Newcastle with praise and criticism for detective chief inspector Peter Fox, the police officer who sparked the inquiry.
The journalist who Peter Fox has described as his informant, Joanne McCarthy from the Newcastle Herald, took the stand today.
She described Peter Fox as having a different approach to his investigations, saying he was pretty keen compared to other police.
Ms McCarthy also told the inquiry she was phoned by another senior police officer in the Hunter who said the internal Church documents she’d supplied to investigators would not lead to a prosecution.
JOANNE MCCARTHY, NEWCASTLE HERALD (female voiceover): “On 13th August, 2010, I received a call from police officer Stephen Ray. He told me that in regards to the Catholic Church, prosecutions weren’t the way to go. He said a Truth and Reconciliation Commission might be the better way to go.”
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