SPECIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY: CLAIMS OF CLERGY “COLLUSION” DENIED BY FORMER COP
A former police officer involved in the investigation of pedophile priest James Fletcher says he did not believe there was any collusion between members of the clergy.
Donald Brown told the Special Commission of Inquiry in Newcastle, that he did not agree with comments made by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox in a report to the Ombudsman’s office in 2003.
In it, DCI Fox claimed officers believed there was collusion between five members of the clergy who were interviewed in the week following Fletcher’s arrest.
Mr Brown told the commission that he “can’t form that opinion” because his involvement in the case was minimal and involved questioning just one of the clergymen.
The former police officer also said that he believed he should have been made aware that such assertions were being included in the 2003 report.
The inquiry has also heard from Detective Senior Constable Jacqueline Flipo regarding her investigations into another paedophile priest, Denis McAlinden, in 2001.
At the time, she was looking into claims of abuse by the priest towards a young girl.
Under questioning from Counsel Assisting Julia Lonergan SC, DSC Flipo admitted that she did not seek to investigate the criminal history of McAlinden, who was charged but acquitted of a similar offence in Western Australia.
Julia Lonergan asked the detective, “Wouldn’t it be helpful when looking at the modus operandi of an offender” to be aware of their criminal history, to which Ms Fliipo replied, “yes it would”.
DSC Flipo also told the commission she did not use Medicare or tax records to try and find an address for McAlinden, who was wanted by police.
Julia Lonergan asked, “That wasn’t something you considered at the time as a method of inquiry?”.
“No”, replied DSC Flipo.
Officers had been told by the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Diocese that McAlinden was overseas and had not worked for the diocese for 10 years, although police were able to obtain a post office box address for him in WA.
Former Bishop Michael Malone is expected to give evidence this afternoon.
