AUSTRALIA
ABC News
by Dan Cox
A former Hunter Valley Catholic Bishop has told a New South Wales Special Commission into clergy sexual abuse that the diocese has had its “fair share” of paedophilia.
The former Maitland-Newcastle Bishop Michael Malone has been cross-examined by Peter Gogarty, who was abused by Father James Fletcher and has been given special leave to cross-examine those giving evidence at the public hearings.
Mr Gogarty today asked Bishop Malone if Fletcher’s abuse was ever discussed at the Australian Catholic Bishop’s conference.
Bishop Malone replied: The region has “had its fair share of paedophilia issues to deal with, so in a generic way it came up”.
However, he said Fletcher was not discussed specifically.
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