In an interview with ABC's Lateline, a former NSW director of public prosecutions said the church's decision to involve a police officer in its internal investigation of abuse allegations could have been an attempt to placate authorities and prevent deeper investigation.
Nicholas Cowdery questioned why the church set up an expert panel known as the NSW Professional Standards Group in 1996 and included a police officer from the sex crimes squad as a member.
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"They have done that presumably so they can say publicly, 'what we have done is appropriate, we have brought in the interests of law enforcement and therefore you shouldn't be inquiring any further'," he said.
The police officer's involvement in the resource group was limited to a briefing at the beginning and the end of the process only, and all information about the names of the alleged perpetrators and victims were removed, according to the ABC report.
A spokesman for the NSW police force confirmed that an officer was present on the panel, but said that individual was not operating as a police officer in her capacity as a resource group member.
The professional standards group was one of many review channels established within the church to investigate issues of alleged child abuse.
