Gillard under pressure to set up sex abuse inquiry

Updated

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Whistleblower wants wider church abuse inquiry (ABC News)

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is under growing pressure to set up a national royal commission into allegations of paedophilia within the Catholic Church, amid claims the "tentacles" of abuse stretch across state borders.

The campaign has been fuelled by last week's explosive allegations by senior New South Wales police investigator Peter Fox, who said the church had been involved in covering up evidence against priests.

Chief Inspector Fox today said he was "saddened" by the narrowness of the inquiry set up by NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell in response to his concerns, and is urging a national approach to the issue.

"Surely our political leaders that we've voted in owe it to the people of this state and the children of this state to do something a lot more than just a small inquiry focusing on the police handling of one matter in the Newcastle area," Chief Inspector Fox told ABC News 24.

"The problem is far greater than that.

"I've got no doubt that it's got tentacles everywhere.

"I want to share with the inquiry on day one information that I have that will link what's happening here in the Hunter (Valley) to other areas in the state directly."

He said he believed there should be an "overall" royal commission, set up with the cooperation of all states so that the scandals of the past could be properly dealt with.

Federal independent MP Tony Windsor has described the New South Wales-based inquiry as "pathetic" and is demanding the Prime Minister take action.

"To have a regionally based Hunter Valley inquiry almost makes a mockery of the people that have suffered under these abuses, and it needs to be national," Mr Windsor told AM.

"This is one of these issues that's going to keep gnawing away, and my advice to the Prime Minister and others - and I intend to communicate with her today - is that it's probably better to try and deal with this sooner rather than later.

"There's an enormous number of people out there that feel they've been affected by this, and they feel as though the system is letting them down."

'Stain on society'

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Cameron backs calls for church abuse inquiry (ABC News)

An online petition was launched this morning by a group including lawyer Josh Bornstein and retired Catholic priest Father Bob Maguire, calling on Ms Gillard to act on the "irrefutable" evidence of widespread sexual abuse of children within the church.

Labor backbenchers have begun voicing their support for such a move, including Senator Doug Cameron, who has described the allegations as a "stain on Australian society".

"I think the Federal Government needs to have a look at this and we need to a national overview on these issues," Senator Cameron told ABC News 24.

"I'd like to get a broad terms of reference, a national terms of reference, and let's focus on this and get rid of this stain on our society."

Labor MP Nick Champion agrees on the need for a royal commission, but says it should be broad enough to investigate any organisation involved in looking after children where abuse allegations have been made.

The Greens and independent MP Rob Oakeshott are also calling for a royal commission, declaring the issue demands a national response.

Across borders

Mr O'Farrell has moved to defend the terms of reference for the inquiry he set up amid mounting criticism that the scope is too narrow.

He remains confident it will get to the bottom of the concerns and says there is also an ongoing police investigation into child abuse allegations.

"A broad-ranging inquiry that could trample or get in the way of those investigations will not provide the justice that those, whose families have suffered or those who themselves have suffered, so desperately seek," Mr O'Farrell told ABC local radio.

But he says the inquiry could be expanded if it confirms evidence of a cover-up of abuse in the Hunter Valley region.

In a newspaper opinion piece on the weekend, Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell described the inquiry as a "measured and justified response" to sex abuse claims.

He rejected suggestions the Catholic Church had not cooperated with police investigations, and pointed to "major procedural changes" that had been implemented to deal with the issue.

But supporters of a royal commission say the New South Wales inquiry does not go far enough because the issue of church abuse does not stop at state borders.

"This is something that crosses jurisdictions - having a state-by-state piecemeal approach is simply not good enough," independent senator Nick Xenophon told ABC News 24.

"This is not about singling out any particular church, it's about doing the right thing by victims and making sure there are some systemic changes and some law reform if necessary to deal with this problem."

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Nick Xenophon calls for child abuse enquiry (ABC News)

Former Labor MP turned independent Craig Thomson is backing calls for a nationally constituted royal commission and says it is in the church's interests to cooperate with such an investigation.

"[They are] very serious allegations over a long period of time, with very credible people raising these issues, and I think any government would be very concerned at hearing those allegations," he told ABC News Online.

"Doing nothing isn't an option in relation to this."

'Clearing House'

The Prime Minister is yet to say whether she agrees on the need for a royal commission, but Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson expects there will be an internal discussion about it.

"The Prime Minister's been overseas and we haven't had an opportunity to get together to talk about the existing inquiries and the best way forward on this," Dr Emerson told ABC NewsRadio.

"But you can be assured that there is no tolerance for child abuse within this Government."

Finance Minister Penny Wong says reading the revelations of child abuse within the church has been "heartbreaking", and has indicated the Government is likely to respond.

"Whatever the form of the inquiry, I think all of us would want it to be full, frank and fearless to make sure these matters are resolved," she told Sky News.

In addition to the New South Wales inquiry, there is a Victorian parliamentary investigation already underway into allegations of child sexual abuse within the church.

But World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello, who is a former head of the Baptist church, says the public appears to be "nurturing doubts" that the current investigations go far enough.

"I think what we now need is a clearing house - a clearing house to say this issue is being totally dealt with in a thorough way that satisfies the public demand," Mr Costello told ABC radio.

"My view is that the church would be wise to say 'we need full transparency, whatever that takes'."

Topics: royal-commissions, catholic, sexual-offences, federal-government, australia

First posted