Child abuse royal commission: Victoria Police admits 'Catholic mafia' coverup

[SAVINGRACE]

"More than four decades after former Mildura police officer Denis Ryan was stopped from investigating allegations of child sexual abuse by a Catholic priest, Victoria Police has admitted a conspiracy to cover up the crimes went right to the top.

Mr Ryan detailed to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse how his attempt to investigate allegations against Monsignor John Day in the 1970s was thwarted by what he describes as a “Catholic mafia” within the force.

“The common law of the police force was not to charge a priest, short of murder,” Mr Ryan, 83, said. “The Catholics looked after the Catholics and the Masons looked after the Masons.”

In 1971 while stationed in Mildura, Mr Ryan learnt of numerous allegations against the assistant priest of the parish, Monsignor Day.

“It was like stepping stones. It wasn’t difficult,” he told the inquiry.

Yet Mr Ryan was thrown off the case by his seniors who he described as staunch Catholics; in particular, Detective Sergeant Jim Barritt, who was best friends with Monsignor Day, and Swan Hill superintendent and chief investigator Jack O’Connor.

He also named Superintendent Jack Partland and Inspector Alby Irwin as being part of efforts to thwart the investigation.

Mr Ryan said he wrote to Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns about Monsignor Day, and was threatened outside Mildura Police Station by Mildura parish priest Father Peter Taffe.

Bishop Mulkearns had been called to appear before the commission, but was excused due to his poor health."

abc.net.au/news/2015-12-08/victoria-police-covered-up-allegations-of-abuse-inquiry-told/7010442

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

I Guess perhaps you Listern to P M. In the Evening as well,
The Catholic Mafia as it was discribed , must have been an all Powerful bunch ,
These people are responsable for many bad deeds,
I’m reminded of Matthew 18:6 or Mark 9:42
Come Judgement Day !!
But then, which of you who has not sinned may Cast the First Stone .
Interesting thoughts indeed,

 

[mlz]

God sees all and is the ultimate judge for which I am glad I am not. He is both just and merciful…we leave it in His hands. Sad story though, all the more reason we must pray for those in authority over us!
mlz

 

[LongingSoul]

In general, the most mysterious, ,most curious phenomenon in the human experience is why men protect each other rather than report child abuse or rape of women. I wonder what God meant that sort of loyalty for?

 

[CuriousMike]

All the time this has been running, I’m really curious why it seems that Victoria seems to hold the most perpetrators for these kinds of crimes? There were some other hearings that made the headlines just the other day regarding some secular group (not the Police).

While I’m not sure if there were perhaps bribes involved, or other mischievous deeds, it does defeat the idea that it was “just the clergy covering up abuse.”
Here you have people who were somehow involved with the perpetrators defending them, and not just those Clergy who did cover up the abuses.

Still, I hope the Commission gets to the bottom of this dilemma, and the appropriate charges laid. Unfortunately, I doubt anything we can do as a society can ever really make up for these heinous crimes, and mend all the people whose faith was completely obliterated by this.