Canberra, Australia, Jan 28, 2021 / 16:15 pm
Starting in February, the Catholic Church in Australia will have a national protocol for responding to allegations of sexual abuse, the bishops of Australia announced this week.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, president of the Australian bishop's conference, said the new protocol "demands an approach from the Church that is compassionate and just."
"One of the strengths of the new protocol is that it provides a single national framework, which will ensure a consistent approach to the handling of concerns and allegations," Coleridge said Jan. 28.
The National Response Protocol lays out principles that Church authorities must adhere to when responding to a child abuse allegation, as well as the concrete procedural steps that must be taken when an allegation is received.