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JUST OVER 7% of Catholic priests were accused of abusing children in Australia between 1950 and 2010 but the allegations were never investigated, according to “shocking and indefensible” data shown today during an inquiry into paedophilia in the church.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard that 4,444 alleged incidents of paedophilia were reported to church authorities and in some dioceses, more than 15% of priests were perpetrators.
Australia ordered the Royal Commission in 2012 after a decade of growing pressure to investigate allegations of child abuse across the country, with the inquiry now in its final phase after four years of hearings.
“Between 1950 and 2010, overall 7% of priests were alleged perpetrators,” said Gail Furness, the lawyer leading questioning at the inquiry in Sydney.
“The accounts were depressingly similar. Children were ignored or worse, punished. Allegations were not investigated. Priests and religious (figures) were moved,” she added.
“The parishes or communities to which they were moved knew nothing of their past. Documents were not kept or they were destroyed. Secrecy prevailed as did cover ups.”
The average age of the victims at the time was 10 for girls and 11 for boys.
Of the 1,880 alleged perpetrators, 90 percent were men.
The St John of God Brothers religious order fared the worst, with just over 40 percent of members accused of abuse.
The commission has spoken to thousands of survivors and heard claims of child abuse involving churches, orphanages, sporting clubs, youth groups and schools.
The church in Australia set up the Truth, Justice and Healing Council to coordinate its response.
“These numbers are shocking, they are tragic, they are indefensible,” its chief executive Francis Sullivan told the commission.
“This data, along with all we have heard over the past four years, can only be interpreted for what it is: a massive failure on the part of the Catholic Church in Australia to protect children from abusers.
As Catholics we hang our heads in shame.
The inquiry has embroiled Australia’s most senior Catholic cleric George Pell, now the Vatican’s finance chief, who was questioned over his dealings with paedophile priests in Victoria state in the 1970s.
Pell was also accused of historic sex abuse claims when he was the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney in 2002, but was later cleared of any wrongdoing. He has denied all allegations.
Since being set up, the commission has made over 300 referrals to police but so far there have only been 27 prosecutions with 75 cases pending.
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I’m a little confused as to how the jury bought a story of accidental killing – followed by dismemberment.. Accidents can and do happen, but surely cutting up the body would add a dimension to the situation that would veer a long way from “accidental”, I mean, dismemberment is pretty deliberate..
How on earth did he get away with that?
Yeah I don’t get that either , I wonder if he paid off the jury ? Or is that only in the movies !
He said he was trying to avoid any attention because of his previous case with his wife. Bottom line he’s a nut job.
He probably claimed that the killing was an accident and that he panicked and tried to hide the body in case he was later blamed for ‘murdering’ him. No previous, no known motive and probably claimed he was friends with the victim and that he was sooooo sorry!
Since when are RTE non entities given the titles of legends any wonder they go around with their heads in the clouds. Ive never even heard of this one.
Well she deserves credit for being the first female newsreader in rte. But a legend ? No .
Most women were able to read in the 1970′s! What had gender got to do with it?
Durst looks like a psycho
Well spotted.
He will get off again, if you have seen the doc you will see he wants to be caught, he seems to get a rush for getting away with it and has the money to do so.
Whatever happened to bibi baskin?
@Buckwheat
I think this article from December 2013 answers your question.
Apologies.
I forgot to paste the address.
http://www.businessandleadership.com/exporting/item/43849-bibi-baskin-to-talk-about-h
See talking to yourself… no good can come of it.
you can leave an Irish man all alone for 24 hours and what will you hear on a mic?
Sweet sweet silence
His defence team managed to convince the jury that the neighbor had let himself into Dursts apartment and had a gun,the neighbour, Black, was a well known aggressive troublesome person who no one liked, he convinced them the gun went off during a struggle but that he didn’t shoot him intentionally. Try watch the documentaries they explain it better. Why not show the lady now instead of her in 1975, or at least as well as…..?
Leg End or butt end or is there a happy end at all at all??
have your say