The cardinal had told BBC Radio 5 live that people who were abused as children and became paedophiles were not criminally responsible for their actions in the same way as somebody "who chooses to do something like that".

After victims' groups and others said the comments were insensitive, the South African cardinal apologised.

"I apologise sincerely and unreservedly to all who were offended by the botched interview, and especially to those who have been abused and need every help and support that the Church can give," he said in a statement.

"Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime among other things because of the damage it does to the child. In that concern I include the abused who has become an abuser."

In the BBC interview, Cardinal Napier spoke of two priests he knew who were abused as children and went on to become paedophiles.

He said: "Don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that.

"I don't think you can really take the position and say that person deserves to be punished when he was himself damaged."

The cardinal's comments brought immediate criticism from Barbara Dorries, who as a child was abused by a priest and now works for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests in Chicago.

She told the BBC: "If it is a disease that's fine, but it's also a crime and crimes are punished, criminals are held accountable for what they did and what they do.

"The bishops and the cardinals have gone to great lengths to cover these crimes to enable the predators to move on, to not be arrested, to keep the secrets within the Church."

Sources:

Reuters

Daily Mail

Image: The New Age

On Tuesday Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu announced a year-long parliamentary enquiry into the handing of criminal abuse of children.

The government has been under pressure to hold the enquiry since it came to office and finally bowed to public pressure with the revelations of dozens of suicides linked to sexual abuse by priests.

However the enquiry has already been undermined with deputy chairman of the Victoria Parliament's family and community development committee, Frank McGuire, saying his committee was too inexperienced and the wrong body for the task.

The committee has four of its six members having been in Parliament for less than 18 months.

Victims groups too are unhappy.

John McNally, a former altar boy who was abused by a priest insists he never got justice and says the parliamentary enquiry lacks teeth.

Victim spokeswoman, Nicky Davis warned that the enquiry might lead to more suicides amongst victims if it doesn't go far enough.

"Every victim has that battle with suicide ... if they are blocked again it could push some over the edge," she said.

"After the unadulterated joy of thinking, at last we will be listened to and not drowned out by church lies, comes the realisation we have been set up and given a poisoned chalice."

"We are going to try to all work together to fight this, and to get it changed to something with at least a chance of justice."

Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart and Bellarrat Bishop, Peter Connors have undertaken to co-operate with the enquiry.

"I reaffirm the Archdiocese's position that we have nothing to hide from such an independent inquiry, and I am confident that any inquiry into the Archdiocese's Melbourne Response process will confirm this," Hart said in a statement.

"My clear, and often stated, preference is for allegations of criminal conduct to be investigated by Victoria Police and dealt with in the criminal courts."

"The State, and not the Church, is best placed to deal with these matters."

Sources

• The Age
• The Age
• The Age
• The Australian
• Media Release: Denis Hart
• Image: The Courier