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Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse

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You mentioned opinions, McLovin.

Is Margaret Court a Catholic?
I don't think so.
 
Tink said:
You mentioned opinions, McLovin.

Is Margaret Court a Catholic?
I don't think so.
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So what if she's not. She's a minister and very open about it, unlike Devine and her own religious beliefs. (And what does any of this have to do with Court and Melbourne??)

I'd expect a conservative Catholic like Devine to be as dogmatic as the best the Vatican has turned out. Thankfully, most practising Catholics long ago turned their backs on the Catholic hierarchy and concentrate on their own congregation. And with guys like Pell at the top of the tree, who can blame them?
 
Tink said:
Off topic -

So every time Margaret Court walks out, her difference of opinion is attacked by the baying mob?

Miranda has said, innocence until proven guilty, unless you are a communist.

https://twitter.com/mirandadevine
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Margaret Court gave an opinion. It's either wrong or right depending on ones own opinion. George Pell turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse of children and is now accused of abuse himself. The difference between the two is so stark that it beggars belief anyone would draw parallels between them.

No one is denying Pell's right to the presumption of innocence. It's just a mischief contrived by Devine to get the Catholics riled up into thinking that they are all under attack, and evidently it's working.
 
The charging of Cardinal Pell for historical sex offences is certainly the news of the day. However it seems that he is only one of a minimum of 20 Catholic religious figures with current open court cases for child sexual abuse.
Current Court Cases
By Broken Rites researchers
Following are some examples of current court cases which Broken Rites is observing (this is not a complete list). This page has not yet been fully updated.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/236
 
I would have given Pell some latitude had I not watched him debating on QANDA. After that I couldn't see through his deliberate befuddling, a man being disloyal to paragon truths IMO.

I still remind myself of how the alterboy jokes abounded as some kind of perverse humour and I still hear my mother telling me as an infant never to be alone with a man, especially a priest..... the silent generation who didn't prosecute when perhaps they should have, instead of turning a blind eye.
 
So the commission have released their recommendations

  • But the royal commission is recommending any exemption on the confessional is removed, meaning members of the clergy would break the law if they failed to report child abuse to the authorities.
  • changes to police responses, such as improvements to investigative interviewing techniques
  • measures to improve "courtroom experiences" for victims, such as by pre-recording evidence, including in cross-examinations
  • the removal of "good character" as a mitigating factor in sentencing "where that good character facilitated the offending"
  • requiring sentences to be set in line with current sentencing standards instead of those in place at the time of offending, subject to the maximum sentence that applied at the time of the offence
  • extending grooming offences to cover when an offender builds trust with a parent or carer to get access to a child
All up there were 85 recommendations.

And we've already seen the Catholic church attempting to protect their outdated practices in the confession box instead of protecting children who their pedophile priests exploit.

But the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart, said protections for confession should be respected.
"Confession in the Catholic Church is a spiritual encounter with God through the priest," Archbishop Hart said in a statement. "It is a fundamental part of the freedom of religion, and it is recognised in the law of Australia and many other countries. "It must remain so here in Australia.
Click to expand...
The church is a disgrace
 
overhang said:
So the commission have released their recommendations

  • But the royal commission is recommending any exemption on the confessional is removed, meaning members of the clergy would break the law if they failed to report child abuse to the authorities.
  • changes to police responses, such as improvements to investigative interviewing techniques
  • measures to improve "courtroom experiences" for victims, such as by pre-recording evidence, including in cross-examinations
  • the removal of "good character" as a mitigating factor in sentencing "where that good character facilitated the offending"
  • requiring sentences to be set in line with current sentencing standards instead of those in place at the time of offending, subject to the maximum sentence that applied at the time of the offence
  • extending grooming offences to cover when an offender builds trust with a parent or carer to get access to a child
All up there were 85 recommendations.

And we've already seen the Catholic church attempting to protect their outdated practices in the confession box instead of protecting children who their pedophile priests exploit.


The church is a disgrace
Click to expand...


One of the commission's talking heads got the rounds of the table from Michael on the ABC this morning, Michael was not impressed at the idea of making priests answer to the law about confessions.
 
Tisme said:
One of the commission's talking heads got the rounds of the table from Michael on the ABC this morning, Michael was not impressed at the idea of making priests answer to the law about confessions.
Click to expand...

The only thing that will do is make sure pedophiles don't go to confession.
 
SirRumpole said:
The only thing that will do is make sure pedophiles don't go to confession.
Click to expand...

Not so true Rumpy...
One of the sick discoveries of the Royal Commission was that at least one priest confessed his behaviour in the confessional. By doing this he effectively sealed his confessor to silence which was his intention in the first place.
I suspect actions like that could be in the sights of the Commissioner.
 
SirRumpole said:
The only thing that will do is make sure pedophiles don't go to confession.
Click to expand...
For a start it will prevent priests from being able to confess their crimes and atone them self without any criminal repercussions. But also the commission found that children had confessed what had occurred to them in the confession box, but of course the priests never passed this information on to the authorities. At least this way the priest that kept the crimes secret could be charged. Priests probably won't confess their crimes if the law were passed but we have absolutely nothing to lose by passing this law.
 
Royal Commission findings out. Catholic Church in Melbourne copped a beating... (surprise, surprise, surprise...)

Melbourne Catholic archdiocese's inaction had 'catastrophic' consequences
Royal commission finds former archbishop Thomas Francis Little ‘dismissed or ignored’ allegations of child sexual abuse


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The royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse says there was a ‘culture of secrecy’ within the Melbourne Catholic archdiocese. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

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Melissa Davey


@MelissaLDavey

Tuesday 5 December 2017 07.16 GMT Last modified on Tuesday 5 December 2017 09.28 GMT

The failure of senior figures within the Catholic archdiocese of Melbourne, including the former archbishop Thomas Francis Little, to deal with serious allegations of child sexual abuse “demonstrates the catastrophic human consequences of inaction”, a report from the child sex abuse royal commission has found.

On Tuesday the commission released its findings from hearings held in Melbourne in 2015 and in Sydney last year about the response of Melbourne Catholic church authorities to allegations and complaints of child sexual abuse made against seven priests, and especially the abuse by Father Peter Searson.

Those hearings culminated in evidence from Cardinal George Pell, who gave evidence via video-link from the Vatican after his doctor declared him too unwell to fly to Australia to appear in person.

The commission’s report found that Little, who headed the archdiocese of Melbourne from 1974 to 1996, “dismissed or ignored serious allegations of child sexual abuse against a number of priests” and did not investigate or report them to police. The commission also found Little moved offending priests to other parishes where they continued to offend. Little died in 2008.

“We are satisfied that the evidence in the case study showed a prevailing culture of secrecy within the archdiocese, led by Archbishop Little, in relation to complaints,” the report found. “Complaints were dealt with in a way that sought to protect the archdiocese from scandal and liability and prioritised the interests of the church over those of the victims.”

Searson’s abuse was particularly pervasive and included the rape of multiple children. In 1982 he brought a handgun to Our Lady of Carmel parish school in Sunbury, Victoria, and threatened children with it. He also tortured animals in front of children, the commission heard.

“The case of Father Searson is remarkable in terms of the volume of complaints against him and the number of church personnel to whom they were made,” the report found. “This was not a story of serious but isolated allegations being reported only to the archbishop or vicar general. Rather, Father Searson enjoyed a level of infamy within the parish and ... within other parts of the archdiocese.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/05/melbourne-catholic-archdioceses-inaction-had-catastrophic-consequences
 
More detail on the response of Archbishop Frank Little to compalints about Father Searson
commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse
Letters show Melbourne archbishop failed to act on allegations about priest


Archbishop Frank Little wrote it was ‘difficult for every priest to fulfil the expectations of every parishioner’ in response to letters about Peter Searson


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The commission heard that in the face of first-person accounts about children being traumatised by Searson, Little responded that there was no concrete evidence to compel him to act. Photograph: Royal Commission

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Melissa Davey


@MelissaLDavey

Thursday 26 November 2015 03.52 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 26 October 2016 23.57 BST

A number of extraordinary letters from then Melbourne archbishop Frank Little, in response to serious allegations about behaviour towards children by parish priest Peter Searson, have been revealed by the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...hop-failed-to-act-on-allegations-about-priest

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'No one listened' to hundreds of complaints about priest, says principal
‘How do I look after 400-and-something kids when we’ve got this raving lunatic loose?,’ former headmaster says of ‘diabolical position’ he was in

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...eds-of-complaints-about-priest-says-principal
 
More findings from the Royal Commission. Just horrific..

Catholic bishop cared little for children and left them in danger, royal commission finds
Ballarat’s Ronald Mulkearns knew or strongly suspected pedophile priest was sexually abusing children and did nothing, report says


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The former bishop of Ballarat, Ronald Mulkearns, knew and did nothing about the sexual abuse of children in his diocese, the child sex abuse royal commission has found. Photograph: ABC

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Melissa Davey


@MelissaLDavey

Wednesday 6 December 2017 01.35 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 6 December 2017 02.00 GMT

Children were sexually abused over many decades by notorious pedophile priests within the diocese of Ballarat largely because the bishop at the time, Ronald Mulkearns, had little concern for children, deliberately left them in danger, and failed to investigate or report offenders to police.

This was a key finding from a report on Catholic church authorities in Ballarat published by the child sex abuse royal commission on Wednesday. The report is the result of public hearings held in three parts in 2015 and 2016 in Ballarat and Sydney.

The hearings examined the response of the congregation of Christian Brothers in the St Patrick’s province of Ballarat and the Catholic diocese of Ballarat to complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse by Christian brothers, clergy and other religious staff.

“There is no doubt from the many documents which are in evidence that, at various times, Bishop Mulkearns, the bishop of Ballarat, knew or strongly suspected that these priests had sexually abused children in the diocese,” the report said.

“His concern was overwhelmingly about protecting the reputation of the church and avoiding scandal. There was little evidence that he was concerned to protect children from these priests.”

Mulkearns died last year aged 85. He managed the diocese from 1971 and during a time when numerous notorious pedophiles, including Gerald Ridsdale, Robert Best and Edward Dowlan, were found to have been abusing children. Australia’s most notorious pedophile, Ridsdale, has been convicted of sexually abusing 65 children, although his victims are believed to run into the hundreds.

Most survivors who gave evidence about Ballarat said they were sexually abused by Ridsdale, and the commission found his conduct was the source of gossip among priests and in the community. Despite this, he held 16 appointments over 29 years as a priest. His appointments were typically short, and when allegations against him were made, he was often transferred to a new role or location.

Commissioners were satisfied that “by late 1975 Ridsdale had admitted to Bishop Mulkearns that he had offended against children and that Bishop Mulkearns knew that Ridsdale’s conduct was known to the police in Bendigo and it is likely he knew of the general talk in the community about Ridsdale”.

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Priest raped me nearly every Saturday for six months, victim tells hearing
Read more
Despite being aware of allegations about Ridsdale, Mulkearns did nothing when a 14-year-old boy, Paul Levey, was sent to live with Ridsdale in the Mortlake presbytery in 1982 for more than six months. Levey gave evidence to the commission that he slept in Ridsdale’s bedroom and that he was sexually abused “all the time, just about every day”.

“We are satisfied that, by about April 1982, Bishop Mulkearns knew that Mr Levey was living with Ridsdale in the presbytery at Mortlake,” the report said.

“He knew that the boy’s mother was concerned about the situation and sought his assistance, but he ignored her. By this time, Bishop Mulkearns knew of Ridsdale’s admission of offending against boys. It is inconceivable that it would not have occurred to him that Ridsdale should not have had a boy living with him and that the boy was, at least, at risk of sexual abuse by Ridsdale.

“Bishop Mulkearns’ response to Mr Levey living with Ridsdale in the Mortlake presbytery demonstrated a total absence of concern for the welfare of that boy. Bishop Mulkearns deliberately left Mr Levey in danger.”

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...nd-left-them-in-danger-royal-commission-finds
 
Days of Fasting and Reparation
following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Feb 14-17, 2018

Through these years, Australia's bishops and other Church leaders have often expressed their sorrow and have offered their apology for what has occurred in the past - the harm suffered by victims and survivors, the instances of cover-up, the failure to believe survivor's stories and to respond with compassion and justice, and the distress that many still experience. Our apologiies have at time seemed too little - not because they were insincere, but because trust has been broken.

We stand firm in our resolve to ensure that the abuse of children never happens again in the Catholic Church and to build new bonds of trust. With the Royal Commission concluded, our country and our Church enter into a new moment. We are calling upon the Catholic community in Australia to embrace this new moment by beginning the penitential season of Lent with four days of fasting and reparation. These are spiritual practices which express our desire for God's reconciling and healing grace.


Statement to Catholic Church communities
 
With $30b in wealth, why is the Catholic Church struggling to pay for justice?
After a lifetime contributing to the Catholic Church, Neil Ormerod could give no more.

Following a Sunday mass in 2014, the Australian Catholic University theology professor told his parish priest he no longer trusted the church to use its resources in a way Jesus Christ would approve.



Where does the Catholic Church get its money?
What the Catholic Church is really worth.

The trigger for his rebellion was the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2014 - in particular, Cardinal George Pell’s testimony about the church’s brutal legal assault on John Ellis, a former altar boy abused by a priest in the 1970s.

When Ellis finally confronted the Sydney archdiocese in 2002, then led by Pell, it offered him $25,000 in compensation, which he rejected.

The church then dismissed Ellis’s proposal for a $100,000 settlement, instead spending $800,000 fighting him in court, successfully arguing it could not be sued because it did not exist as an entity.
The church threatened to pursue Ellis for its legal costs.

"That money was the accumulated wealth of generations of good faithful Catholics who gave with the best will in the world," says Ormerod. "It was used in an immoral attack on an abuse survivor and church member."

Ormerod’s faith in God remained strong, but his belief in the institutional church was severely shaken. The church leadership had forfeited its right to his support.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/nat...gling-to-pay-for-justice-20180208-p4yzra.html
 
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