Stephanie Piper meets the Pope in the early '90s. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones But demands for a full-scale royal commission are unlikely to be met, with the government concerned about the potential cost as it prepares to frame its second budget. Ms Courtin, who is conducting PhD research for Monash University's law faculty into sexual abuse by the Catholic Church, recently uncovered a ''cluster'' of suicides - between five and eight- of suspected victims of Father Ronald Pickering, who fled Australia before he could be charged in 1993. Ms Courtin said the suicides mostly involve men who were allegedly abused as boys by Pickering when he worked at the Gardenvale parish in Melbourne. ''According to the reports I received, all of these boys were either altar boys, members of the parish choir and/or members of families with whom Pickering would spend time,'' Ms Courtin said. Yesterday, Mr Baillieu said the link between abuse and suicide revealed in The Age was ''a matter of significant concern''.

Senior police also weighed into the debate, with Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton telling 3AW's Neil Mitchell that despite repeated requests from police, the church was not alerting authorities about clergy sex abuse cases, instead preferring to deal with the cases internally. ''I can't think of a single referral we've had from the Catholic Church in the last couple of years I've been around,'' Mr Ashton said. ''I've been up there [to the Melbourne Archdiocese] myself and spoken to them about it but they have their own processes in place that they regard as being robust … But our point is we're the ones that make the decision around whether things are criminal or not,'' he said. ''I'm frustrated by the whole issue, it's one that we've been trying to get addressed for some time with the church.'' Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart yesterday said he did not believe the church's behaviour had contributed to suicides.

He conceded that ''in the past there have been some failures'', but said the suicides reported yesterday were in Ballarat and outside of his jurisdiction. ''I am aware that there is the possibility of a small number of suicides in Melbourne. I don't have details.'' When asked about the Gardenvale suicides, he said: ''I am not aware specifically of those matters.'' Archbishop Hart said the ''great majority'' of victims did not want to go to police. ''I believe that with regard to victims, obviously the church has got to … walk with victims, but it is always to the extent to which they will let us, you see. That is the challenge.'' Ms Courtin said an inquiry with royal commission powers was needed to investigate the church's handling of the sex abuse crisis - including the suicides.

Her comments were supported by more victims' relatives yesterday, including Eileen Piper, whose daughter Stephanie killed herself in 1994 after she was repeatedly raped by a priest, Gerard Mulvale, several years before. ''I would like an inquiry to get the truth out of the church, instead of just the lies. For too long all we have had is cover-ups,'' Ms Piper said. The police report revealed by The Age was written by a senior detective who has spent several years investigating paedophile clergy. It calls for a coronial inquiry into the more than 40 premature victim deaths investigators believed may be linked to clergy abuse, and says that the Catholic church has chosen to remain ''silent on the matter''. Mr Ashton said that police will soon decide whether to refer the suicides to the coroner.

''If we find there are systemic links and deaths, no matter where they occurred, or there are broader issues that need to be fixed in relation to ensuring that further deaths don't occur, then it's our responsibility to make sure the coroner is aware of those facts.'' The landmark inquiry by Justice Philip Cummins on child welfare released earlier this year recommended a ''formal investigation'' examining how ''religious organisations respond to the criminal abuse of children by religious personnel within their organisations''. It is believed Attorney-General Robert Clark is considering what form any inquiry should take and what powers it should be given. Loading With MARIS BECK

For help or information visit beyondblue.org.au, call Suicide Helpline Victoria on 1300 651 251, or Lifeline on 131 114.