Jingle bells, Cardinal Pell. An orchestrated campaign has been mounted in belated defence of Cardinal George Pell who told the Child Abuse Royal Commission at the last minute that he was too ill to fly to Australia to give vital evidence (here). There was wide-spread skepticism since it was widely known that he had flown […]
Insurance Companies and Redress for Sexual Abuse
UPDATE: Further allegations of unethical actions by insurance companies in regard to child sexual abuse were aired by the BBC on 24 February 2015. More details here. What is the role of insurance companies in dealing with allegations of sexual assault of children? Is it right and proper that they be involved at all? […]
The Papal Trucking Company Pty Unlimited
I highly recommend this opinion piece by Tony Webber in the Dubbo PhotoNews, 30/8/14. In a devastating critique of the church’s scandalous handling of child sex abuse, Tony drives Cardinal Pell’s truck to its illogical conclusions. A trucking company “would not try to gets itself categorised as an unstructured, non-commercial entity to avoid paying due compensation to its victims.” […]
Spin doctors and children in detention
The wheel turns on media spin. In June this year, Fairfax media reported that the number of ‘spin doctors’ and communications staff employed by the Australian Immigration Department had risen to 95 – up from 13 under the previous government in 2011. This in a time when the Government is telling us there’s a budget crisis […]
Church’s line is broken
“Is the line broken?” asked the Royal Commissioner, Peter McClellan, as the television hook-up to Rome failed. “The cardinal is unmoving on the screen which suggests it has,” replied counsel assisting Gail Furness SC, with Judge McClelland observing mournfully: “The line has failed in Rome.” It sure had, in more ways than one when Cardinal […]