AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DAN BOX From: The Australian July 26, 2013
A SENIOR Catholic cleric was aware of evidence suggesting two priests acquitted of child abuse offences in court were in fact guilty of such crimes.
The men were among dozens of alleged pedophile priests interviewed by Brian Lucas, the general-secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, who did not report them to police.
Instead, Father Lucas told the NSW special commission of inquiry into church child abuse that he followed a “secret and discreet” policy of dealing with the men and would “take my chances” with the law as a result.
“I can think of one particular priest I interviewed who absolutely denied anything. He subsequently was charged, he was convicted by the jury, his conviction was overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal and no retrial,” Father Lucas said.
“I did understand that there had been other families who had made representations to the bishop, with which I was not involved at all, suggesting he would have been guilty.”
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