AUSTRALIA
The Morning Bulletin
Austin King | 22nd Apr 2015
THE Sisters of Mercy leader admitted she was less than compassionate when sexual and physical abuse victims first started speaking out.
Not once when the allegations of abuse at Neerkol Orphanage first came to light, did Sister Berneice Loch attempt to contact victims, the Royal Commission panel heard yesterday.
That was the first port of call she should have made, she told the commission.
However, rather than contact the witnesses, who last week gave evidence of physical and sexual abuse at the orphanage which was run by the Sisters of Mercy, Sr Loch instead sought information from other Sisters, congregational personnel and sources.
Sr Loch decided to oversee the drafting of a media release to counteract those “sensationalistic” rumours.
That media release was never distributed; it was only drafted as a “measure” if the allegations got too “out of control”.
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