AUSTRALIA
ABC News
The former head of the Catholic Church’s Professional Standards Office has told an inquiry into Hunter Valley sexual abuse people are encouraged to take allegations against clergy to police.
John Davoren is a former priest and social worker.
In the 1990s he was in charge of the church’s Professional Standards Office in NSW, which in 1996 developed the policy document ‘Towards Healing’ in response to its poor handling of sexual abuse complaints.
Mr Davoren will this morning continue giving evidence at the inquiry which is investigating claims the church covered up abuse by two priests.
Late yesterday he told the commission people who came forward with sexual abuse allegations against a priest were “encouraged to go to police”.
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