Australian inquiry: Pell knew of abuse by paedophile priest
Canberra, AustraliaAP Australian Cardinal George Pell knew a priest had been moved decades ago because he had sexually abused children, and should have removed an unstable priest in another parish who was also a suspected paedophile, an Australian Government inquiry concluded. A report from the inquiry on child sexual abuse had been released in 2017, […]
Catholic Church must show it really has changed, says abuse survivors support group
The Catholic Church in Australia must show it “really has changed” and always places the safety of children above the institution and its clergy, according to child abuse survivors support organisation, the Blue Knot Foundation. In a statement released after the Catholic Church made its formal response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into […]
Updated: Catholic Church in Australia says it won’t lift the seal of confession despite Royal Commission recommendation
Latest update: 4pmAustralia’s Catholic Church has accepted “98 per cent” of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse but cannot accept a recommendation that the seal of confession be broken to report abuse suspicions. In a report detailing its response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations, the church said it did not […]
Australia’s Catholic Church formally announces it will join redress scheme for child sex abuse survivors
Australia’s Catholic Church has confirmed it will enter the national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse once laws enabling it are passed by the Senate. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia confirmed on Wednesday that the church will be entering the scheme which was a key recommendation of the Royal […]
ESSAY: ABANDONING CELIBACY WON’T STOP SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS
US Catholic priest THOMAS REESE, in an article first published on Religion News Service, responds to the recommendations of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse…
Australia’s Anglican Primate says church “deeply appreciates” work of Royal Commission looking into child sexual abuse
Australia’s Anglican Primate, Dr Philip Freier, has said the Anglican Church “deeply appreciates” the work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse as the Royal Commission hands down its final report. In a statement, Dr Freier, the Archbishop of Melbourne, said that while the Anglican Church of Australia had “worked assiduously” and […]
Updated: Clergy should have to report child sexual abuse, even if information comes from confessional, Australian Royal Commission recommends
Clergy should have to report child sexual abuse even if the crime comes to light during confession, Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has recommended. The recommendation is one of 85 contained in the report, Criminal Justice, released on Monday. Writing in the report, the commission said that while they understood the […]
More than 1,000 people alleged incidents of child sexual abuse to Australian Anglican dioceses over 35 years, Royal Commission told
More than 1,000 people alleged incidents of child sexual abuse in complaints made to 22 Anglican dioceses in Australia over the 35 years to the end of 2015, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was told on Friday. Gail Furness, SC, senior counsel assisting the inquiry, said that 1,082 people alleged […]