AUSTRALIA
Courier Mail
Catholic Church cover-up of child sex abuse a scandal, says County Court Judge Felicity Hampel
PAUL ANDERSON NEWS LIMITED NOVEMBER 12, 2013
HIGH-ranking members of the Catholic Church acted in “scandalous” fashion by ignoring claims of sexual abuse and attempting to protect an accused priest and the church brand, a judge has said.
In a scathing attack on the church, County Court judge Felicity Hampel today slammed it for not helping a young sexually abused altar boy and not referring the matter to police.
Depraved Catholic priest Russell Robert Walker sexually abused two altar boys over a four-year period in the 1970s – despite the Archbishop of Melbourne at the time being warned about him.
Walker had been confronted by the parents of one of the boys, only to reply: “How dare you accuse me of sleeping with your son.”
The Catholic Church never took action, the judge said.
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