NZ church probes abuse claims

2010-04-08 11:05

Wellington - New Zealand's Roman Catholic Church said on Thursday it is investigating five new complaints of sexual abuse of children from at least 20 years ago.

The revelation of fresh inquiries comes as the church worldwide is rocked by allegations of child sex crimes committed by clergy - and days after New Zealand Roman Catholic Archbishop John Dew said the allegations have placed the church in crisis.

Former Police Commissioner John Jamieson said he was investigating the five new historic sex abuse allegations against Catholic Church members in New Zealand.

The five complainants did not want to take their cases to the police and provided the church with information confidentially, he said.

Jamieson, who is not a church member, said he had reassessed some 35 child sex abuse allegations against Roman Catholic clergy over the past five years.

"But these five cases are new," he said, adding that some of the alleged abusers are still alive and in the country.

Apology to parishioners

The church commissioned Jamieson to investigate such complaints from the outset to ensure they were handled appropriately and that the complainant was satisfied with the process.

He told National Radio that it would be recommended that any complainants tell police about criminal activity, but that some accusers did not want police to investigate their case.

Over the weekend, Archbishop Dew wrote to parishioners apologising for the "humiliation, embarrassment and disappointment" resulting from continuing reports of child abuse by priests in several countries.

"I think as more revelations come to light and people hear of that, it has put the church in a crisis," he said later.

The situation had worsened as church members heard that cases in many countries may have been mishandled, Archbishop Dew said, adding it was still possible to move beyond the crisis.

- SAPA