AUSTRALIA’S first commission of inquiry into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church will begin today in Newcastle Supreme Court.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox, who helped bring about the NSW public inquiry, is scheduled to give evidence during the first two days.

A long list of senior NSW police will follow Chief Inspector Fox into the witness box during the first two weeks of the inquiry, which precedes and runs separately from the broader federal royal commission into sex abuse.

Commissioner Margaret Cunneen SC will rule on hearing in-camera testimony from some witnesses to avoid prejudicing potential future criminal proceedings.

The NSW commission of inquiry will consider police investigations of the late Hunter paedophile priests Denis McAlinden and Jim Fletcher over the next two weeks. It will later examine Church handling of allegations involving the priests, from June 24 to July 12.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell established the commission of inquiry after Chief Inspector Fox’s open letter to the Premier was published in the Newcastle Herald in November last year, and after he appeared on the ABC’s Lateline.

Chief Inspector Fox alleged the Church failed to report child sex allegations to police, failed to co-operate with police and alerted alleged offenders.

 He also alleged police in 2010 ordered him to stop investigating Church handling of allegations involving Mr McAlinden.

 Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a federal royal commission into child sexual abuse only days after Mr O’Farrell’s decision. 

Bishop prepares for grim stories

By his own admission, Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan head Bishop Bill Wright said the hearings would leave the community appalled, outraged and angered. He said above all – the stories about to be heard – would be extremely grim.

“We know there will be a lot of people wishing to tell their stories and that’s going to be pretty awful,” Bishop Wright said.

“In the first instance, the community will be appalled, outraged, angry, sympathetic and all the rest of it. And for people who have not had their minds turned too much to this whole issue, I think it’s going to be very hard to avoid it in the coming time.

“There will be a lot of stories that will be very grim for people to hear and there will be a lot of anger ­directed, and fair enough, at the ­perpetrators. But this will also be directed at the church and, as time goes on, other institutions which have dealt badly with these things.”

Bishop Wright came to the diocese in 2011 following the resignation of Bishop Michael Malone.

“It ([he level of abuse] has taken me a bit by surprise,” Bishop Wright said.

“I was aware, coming here that the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese had a particular history in these matters but it has amazed me how many of the different towns, suburbs and communities are very directly affected. 

“The consciousness of the abuse here is very front of mind, which it’s not in other places, so I was surprised at how alive and lively this issue was and how pervasive it is here.

“This is a community with a developed understanding of the impact of this on people.”

The bishop remains unsure whether he will be called to take part in the inquiry.

“I may well be called,” he said.

“The commission has a wide term of reference and they’ll decide what they want to look at. If they come to focus on us I’ll probably get the call up. They have summonsed documents from certain places, but the commission hasn’t come knocking on our door yet so we’ll see.”

Source: Maitland Mercury