Quit call to archbishop
By ELLEN WHINNETT, Chief Reporter, 30 Aug 03
TASMANIA'S most senior Catholic, Archbishop of Hobart Adrian Doyle, should resign over his handling of sex abuse allegations, a victims lobby group says.
The Coalition for Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse said Archbishop Doyle had mishandled abuse allegations levelled at a senior Catholic priest.
The Mercury revealed the abuse allegations on August 11, when former Hobart man Derrum Kearns, 32, alleged he had been sexually assaulted by a senior Catholic figure almost 20 years ago.
Although he took his complaints to Archbishop Doyle two years ago, the Archbishop only stood the senior church official down from his active ministry early this year, when Mr Kearns threatened legal action.
CICSA, a coalition of groups including Survivors Confronting Child Abuse and Rape, said Mr Kearns' case highlighted another example of religious institutions mishandling abuse allegations.
"If Archbishop Doyle has intentionally misled Mr Kearns and thereby caused him more harm and suffering and contradicted the values of the Catholic Church, then he should resign," a CICSA spokesman said.
In a brief statement yesterday, Archbishop Doyle said the offer to Mr Kearns to take part in the Catholic Church's Towards Healing process to resolve the issue remained open.
On Thursday night, a visibly distressed Archbishop Doyle appeared on a national current affairs television program defending his actions.
"These allegations are at the level of allegations and still haven't been processed," he told the interviewer.
Archbishop Doyle and the senior church official attended the same school in Hobart and have known each other for many years.
Mr Kearns has complained that the church never encouraged him to take the matter to police, despite a Catholic Church policy, Towards Healing, that says such matters should be reported.
A week after The Mercury aired the allegations, a statement by Archbishop Doyle was read out at all masses in southern Tasmania.
He restated his "profound abhorrence of this kind of behaviour" and encouraged those with complaints against clergy to contact the church.
He added: "I am also repeating the commitment I made in 1998 to provide every opportunity and encouragement to anyone who believes that there is a reason to make a complaint against a priest, a religious, or anyone in the employment of the church."
It was confirmed yesterday that police would not lay charges as a result of Mr Kearns' allegations because legal time limits had expired.
"The nature of the complaint laid by Mr Kearns relate to alleged offences under the Police Offences Act, which are subject to a statute of limitations of six months," said Detective-Inspector Glenn Lathey.
A second man has contacted police with allegations similar to Mr Kearns' but has not lodged a formal complaint.
Also yesterday, detectives investigating allegations of sexual abuse against former Anglican Church priest Lou Victor Daniels raided the Anglican Church headquarters in Hobart's Macquarie St.
Police seized documents and correspondence between the church and people who had complained to the church about Daniels' behaviour.
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The Mercury, Hobart, "Quit call to archbishop," By Ellen Whinnett, August 30 2003
Catholic archbishop left accused priest in place; and police search Anglican headquarters
Also see News.com.au , "State's huge compo bill," http://www.news.com.au/common/printpage/0,6093,6960222,00.html , By Ellen Whinnett, 15 Aug 03, and, Aust. Broadcasting Corp., "Tas Govt urged to hold child abuse inquiry," http://www.abc.net.au/tasmania/news/200308/s924915.htm Friday, 15 August 2003
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