Hiding child abuse ‘should be a crime’, Victorian parliamentary inquiry finds

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

[the report]

JOHN FERGUSON THE AUSTRALIAN NOVEMBER 13, 2013

THE nation’s first major inquiry into religious child sex abuse has recommended a sweeping legislative overhaul to curb future criminality.

The Victorian Parliament inquiry also has slammed the behaviour of the Catholic Church for failure to deal with the decades long problem.

The inquiry has called for the lifting of the statute of limitations on offences to assist victims to pursue justice.

It calls for the introduction of a criminal offence relating to child endangerment and backs a criminal offence of grooming.

The report calls for a law to be introduced calling for a new crime of failing to report a serious indictable offence.

As revealed in The Australian, the report backs an independent body to administer a scheme for dealing with victim claims.

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