If we’re going to pay attention to penises going places they shouldn’t, I find this a hell of a lot more important than the Petraeus scandal:
Australia is to hold a wide-ranging judicial inquiry into child sex abuse in the country, including investigations into religious organisations, state care facilities, schools, not-for-profit groups and the responses of child services agencies and the police.
The royal commission follows growing pressure for a national inquiry after a senior police officer last week alleged that the Catholic church had covered up evidence involving paedophile priests. However, the inquiry’s scope is expected to cover a wide range of institutions involved in the care of children.
In addition to the allegations of that officer, from New South Wales, the police in the state of Victoria also allege a pattern of hindering investigations, silencing victims and moving priests:
Deputy Police Commissioner Graham Ashton told the inquiry that the church had also hindered justice by failing to report a single case of child sex abuse in more than 50 years.
Let that sink in for a minute.