AUSTRALIA
ABC News
[with video]
One of Australia’s most senior Catholics, Father Brian Lucas, has told the Cunneen Inquiry into the sexual abuse cover up, that he convinced 35 paedophile priests to resign from the church rather than reporting them to the police.
Transcript
TONY JONES, PRESENTER: A senior Catholic Church official has admitted he was willing to risk breaking the law by failing to report cases of clergy sex abuse to police.
Father Brian Lucas told the Special Commission of Inquiry into church sex abuse in Maitland-Newcastle that he’d never betray the trust of a victim if they didn’t want to go to police about abuse allegations.
Father Lucas said he’d been tasked with seducing alleged paedophile priests to resign, but took no notes of their confessions.
Emma Renwick reports.
EMMA RENWICK, REPORTER: As a lawyer, a priest and former media advisor, Father Brian Lucas is careful with his words.
Father Lucas was at the forefront of the Catholic Church’s process of dealing with paedophile priests in the 1980s and ’90s. His special role was convincing them to leave the ministry.
Today Father Lucas told the special inquiry into the cover up of child sexual abuse, “… one had to seduce them into agreeing to resign …”.
EMMA RENWICK: Later, Counsel Assisting asked, “How many of these matters have you dealt with?”
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