AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND
Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
By Chris Morris
The Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God (SJOG) do not want to talk about Darryl Smith.
The Catholic order’s Australian head, provincial Brother Timothy Graham, declined to comment when contacted by ODT Insight.
He referred questions to the order’s law firm, which said it would be ”inappropriate” to comment while discussions with Mr Smith’s lawyers continued.
SJOG spokesman Simon Feely also responded to a request for comment with a blunt text: ”If it’s to do with Darryl Smith, there’s nothing to say that’s not been said.”
It is a defensiveness that perhaps partly reflects the spotlight on the Catholic order, and the wider Church in Australia, since the launch, back in 2013, of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.
A final report was not due until December, but in February the commission revealed almost 4500 people had complained about almost 2000 members of the Catholic clergy across Australia between 1950 and 2010.
Within St John of God, 40% of its clergy had been accused and allegations of a cover-up had been raised, Australian media have reported.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.