Professor Patrick Parkinson, AM says he's now withdrawn his support for the Catholic Church's Towards Healing protocol because the Church failed to take action over clergy who didn't comply.

Professor Parkinson originally reviewed and approved the protocol.

However, in an interview ABC Lateline, he says the allegations by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox and separate allegations made by the Victorian police amount to allegations of organised criminality.
Professor Parkinson says an alleged cover-up in the Church as late as 2005 put children at risk.

"My disagreement with the Catholic Church has been that I challenged them over failures to comply with the letter and spirit of those protocols.

"And so I felt as a matter of integrity I could no longer support the National Committee for Professional Standards while there was a gap between its rhetoric and its actions."

View the transcript and footage - Key church lawyer alleges cover-up - ABC Lateline