A JOURNALIST has told an inquiry that she wrote a series of newspaper articles about child sexual abuse by priests because she wanted to help the victims.
Newcastle Herald journalist Joanne McCarthy's articles, over two years from 2010, led to the establishment of the special commission of inquiry into child abuse allegations in the Hunter region and won her a top national award for investigative journalism.
"It was my only objective," Ms McCarthy told Commissioner Margaret Cunneen in the Newcastle Supreme Court on Monday.
"It was about having the victims and their families looked after.
"I didn't want to go the police.
"I wanted the police to investigate."
Ms Cunneen is examining how police and Maitland/Newcastle Catholic Church priests and officials handled child sex allegations, particularly those involving Fr Denis McAlinden and Fr James Fletcher, who are now dead.
Some of Ms McCarthy's articles were based on information from whistleblower Detective Chief inspector Peter Fox who asserted that church leaders covered up crimes and were assisted by a "Catholic mafia" within police ranks.
A succession of police took to the witness stand during the commission's first session last month denying Det Insp Fox's allegations.
Ms McCarthy, who will continue giving evidence on Tuesday, said the community, the media and politicians had to overcome a "but-this-is-the-church" attitude and ensure child sexual abuse crimes were appropriately investigated and victims cared for.
Earlier on Monday the officer in charge of a taskforce investigating complaints by four alleged victims of the two priests, Detective Sergeant Jeffery Little, said a police report on the matter by Det Insp Fox was "written on a saddle of lies".
Sergeant Little said the report included "significant" inaccuracies and comments made by Det Insp Fox were "a manipulation of the truth".
"I was absolutely mortified by (his) comments that the strike force was a sham and set up to fail," Sgt Little said.
Ms Cunneen is scheduled to report her findings to the state government by September 30.
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