AUSTRALIA
InDaily
Megan Neil
The Catholic Church knew it had pedophile “time bombs” in its midst.
It not only let them keep ticking away but also covered up the pedophiles’ evil deeds to protect its reputation.
The extent of the cover-up is still being dissected by the child abuse royal commission but victims advocacy group Broken Rites spokesman Dr Wayne Chamley expects its report will be absolutely scathing of the Catholic Church.
“The commission is unpicking a conspiracy,” Dr Chamley said.
“These bishops collectively have been running this conspiracy certainly since 1992.”
Minutes of a special issues committee meeting at the 1992 Australian Catholic Bishops Conference reveal: “It was agreed that there are serious ‘time bombs’ ticking away in a number of diocese at the present time.”
The focus was on treating the accused offender fairly, even though the minutes reveal the special issues committee – set up to deal with allegations against priests – agreed “the prognosis for offenders to be returned to any form of active ministry as a priest is not good”.
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