As for what has happen in other Diocese, I pray for the victims as well as the perpetrators. I also pray for mercy but justice as well.

Thank you for your question.
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Unless the information was obtained by a priest during a sacramental Confession (which itself is protected by Australian law) then all suspicions of child sexual abuse should be reported to the authorities.

This position is backed up by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference: http://www.catholic.org.au

With love in Christ.
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In Christ
Fr. Joseph
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You may have heard that from someone, but I have never seen any evidence of such an instruction. You need to provide a source for such an accusation. I don’t believe that any Vatican official ever specifically instructed that cases of abuse be covered up.

But to answer your question, yes anyone in a position of authority who is aware that their subordinate is victimizing someone, should be held responsible for their inaction.

However, according to the article you’ve provided, the student and her parent reported the incident to the principal. I have to wonder why they didn’t go to the police in the first place. The article says that the principal did follow the law and report the incident to his higher ups. It was those people who did not report it to the police as they should. The principal was cleared of all charges.

But as a parent myself, if a teacher touched my child inappropriately, I would definitely go to the principal, but also the police. And if nothing was done, I’d take it further. While I’m not saying that the officials at the school handled it properly, I am at a loss as to why the parent of the child handled it that particular way.

Plus you can’t really call those who have been charged "Church leaders" no where does it say what type of people staff the Catholic Education offices. They are not usually clergy and Church leaders, but lay people with education degrees. Many times they aren’t even Catholic.
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Notice how you jumped to the conclusion that this was a clergy issue.

Secondly, You assume that the Catholic Schools are run by the Vatican. – Actually there are so many layers between the 2, they are no more connected to the Vatican than a scandal in a Public school is connected to the President of the United States.
To think that the Schools are ran by the Vatican, shows a nieviety about the Catholic faith.

Thirdly, the law is only 6 years old and the Principle has been cleared of wrong doing because he didn’t know the details of the law. – I’m sure he should have, but this is QUITE different than willfully disobeying the law.

Fourthly, the law seems a bit odd in its wording. According the article.. IF the allegations come from a Teacher to the Principle, then he must notify authorities. However, IF a Student tells the principle, he only has to notify the school board. – I find that weird and QUITE different then U.S. Laws.

However, Let’s not naively think that ALL allegations get reported. In my own home town.. the local public school covered up many Sexual abuse cases. 3 that I know of, one concerning my wife and 2 regarding another teacher.
Impreprities happen ALL THE TIME in public school. My little town of 50,000 have had 3 public cases and as many if not more unreported scandals. In all of them there were some degree of cover-up or deniability involved.

<<I understand that the Vatican did in fact issue specific instructions for cases of abuse to be covered up. Surely the leaders of the church should also be charged and not just those who follow the instructions>>
That’s maybe your understanding.. I’d like to know What you base this on, as I have not undercovered this in any of my reading about the abuse cases. I’d like to know your source which proves this.

My question is THIS…

Why doesn’t the Autstralian media report on every Public School abuse case? Why don’t people call for the arrest and indictment of the President anytime there is a scandal in the Government or concerning a government employee?
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Why do the Boy Scouts continue their coverup? U.S. public schools are still organized in hiding pedophiles in their midst. Nearly all social workers, foster care providers, and even the receptionists in US Child Protective Services (see the recent scandal in San Bernandino County, California and other counties) are pedophiles who have been criminally charged. They are still allowed to work in the child protection field. Why?
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This is pathetic…. NO ONE should be allowed to get away with crap like this. I don’t care if it was Jesus himself hiding the priests…. charge them. Having religious authority doesn’t give them the right to break laws and get away with it (especially when it’s a religion that makes such a big deal out of everyone else breaking their "laws")
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@Marty, he asked a question about Catholics, I’m sure he feels the same no matter who does this horrible thing.
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