AUSTRALIA
ABC News
The former New South Wales premier Barry O’Farrell has hit out at the Catholic Church for failing to act on allegations of child sexual abuse within the Hunter Region.
Last night’s comments made in State Parliament were in response to the report handed down by the Special Commission of Inquiry, set up to investigate the diocese.
It found that senior Catholics failed to report abuse by former priests Denis McAlinden and James Fletcher, who are both now dead.
Mr O’Farrell says he was motivated to establish the inquiry after seeing ABC reports in 2012 and wanted to see those who abused children brought to justice.
This is behaviour…which I find abominable and frankly unchristian when found amongst so-called men of the cloth.
He singled out five key figures who failed to act on the allegations and criticised cover-ups made by the church.
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