AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
By IAN KIRKWOOD July 11, 2013
TRANSCRIPTS: Special Commission of Inquiry and court exhibits
BISHOP Michael Malone was terrified that priest Jim Fletcher was a paedophile, but he did not make inquiries at the time, the Special Commission of Inquiry sitting in Newcastle heard yesterday.
Nor did he warn the Lochinvar presbytery that allegations had been made against Fletcher, who was subsequently jailed on child sex abuse charges, even though he had added the area to Fletcher’s Branxton ministry against the express wishes of Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox.
Mr Fox had urged the then Catholic Church bishop of the Maitland-Newcastle diocese to stand Fletcher aside from active duty.
Bishop Malone said he told the principal of the Branxton school – although counsel assisting the commission, Julia Lonergan, said this was contested – but he admitted not warning the Lochinvar school of the suspicions about Fletcher.
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