Planet3:”Piper, I believe the females in such a tangled web (punt intended) have just as much to answer too, what do you think?”

Yep anyone involved in a cover up or helping protect them but as soon as they started talking about all the other agencies on their list to be investigated it muddied those non-secular waters (punt now needed).

And … if they are going to investigate everyone they might as well throw in other types of abuse and get it all sorted.

Is this about catching individuals or about the systems in place that allowed them to not be caught?

And… Hasbeen ruined my day. Just saying.

Perhaps she could start by looking into the Heiner affair first?

Glad to oblige Piper.

If opening your eyes to a few facts ruins your day, it is about time you had a wake up call.

Anyone who can possibly believe our red head actually cares about kids, these or any others, must have rocks in their head.

Pied Piper I've given some thought to the issue of the scale of the inquiry. I'd dearly love to see our so called child support and family law systems investigated for the role they play in providing financial incentives to fight over children but I keep getting back to the point that expanding it to far could seriously blunt the chances of preventing any future abuse. There are plenty of forms of abuse which are more widespread but we need to start somewher and this seems likema worthy start.

We need to come to grips with all institutionally supported abuse but probably need to do it in chunks that make sense. Its hard for any group to claim they are being unfairly targetted with whats proposed. I've not seen the detail but from what I've heard the focus is not on justice for or against individuals but rather getting to the institutional things that allow abuse to thrive in some settings.

We will probably be stuck with individual abusers for a long time, what we can prevent most of is cultural or legal means for them to continue abusing after the abuse becomes known to anyone other than their victims.

R0bert

Australia's most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, is reportedly deeply ashamed of child sex abuse perpetrated by members of the church but doesn't believe a royal commission is warranted.

The Archbishop of Sydney accepts that children were abused by priests and that the crimes were covered up by other clergy but believes the Catholic church is no worse than other organisations, News Limited reports.

"It wasn't just the Catholic church that hoped (an abusive priest) would amend their conduct and give them a home elsewhere," he told the Weekend Australian.

"Back in those days, they were entitled to think of pedophilia as simply a sin that you would repent of. They didn't realise that in the worst cases it was an addiction, a raging addiction."
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The church had rid itself of "a great deal of moral cancer" after abuse claims came to light, he said.

His comments came as NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell announced a special commission to investigate allegations of child sex abuse by Catholic church clergy in the Hunter region.

The commission will be run by prosecutor Margaret Cunneen, SC, and will examine allegations made by a senior serving police officer of child sex abuse at the hands of Catholic priests in the Newcastle area.

It will also look into alleged cover-ups by members of the church and the police force

Hasbeen and Ludwig,
You blokes may recall, Did not Beatie have an inquiry into electoral fraud in Qld some time back? Sheperdson inquiry?

just when it started to get interesting, he suspended it.

If this gets too hot for Julia, she could do the same. Someone once stated, do not call an inquiry unlees you know the outcome!