AUSTRALIA
The Age
July 2, 2013
Barney Zwartz
Religion editor, The Age.
The Catholic Church in Melbourne put the lives of clergy sexual abuse victims at risk, including telling one suicidal victim to ring back in four days, according to evidence to the Victorian inquiry into how the churches handled abuse.
Another victim who was told his statement to Melbourne Response independent commissioner Peter O’Callaghan, QC, was completely confidential then found it used by the church to try to discredit the victim during the trial of his civil damages claim.
Many clients have been significantly further damaged as a result of going through a church process.
The evidence of law firm Lewis Holdway, which has represented 200 victims over 17 years, was one of 10 submissions published under parliamentary privilege on the inquiry’s website late on Monday.
Lewis Holdway says another life put at risk was a child in real danger from a paedophile priest, whose mother was told she had to wait until she got a letter from Mr O’Callaghan.
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It says some parishes – including Ballarat, Healesville and Doveton – that had a succession of paedophile priests need special support that they have not received, and asks the inquiry to investigate claims that a paedophile ring of priests may have operated in some parishes.
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