Court ejects head of Australian child-sex inquiry .
CANBERRA 1996-12-06
The Australian opposition on Friday demanded a high-powered investigation into paedophilia in the Australian diplomatic service after the federal court forced the head of the existing inquiry to stand aside .
The court said inquiry head Chris Hunt might be biased , since he privately told a newspaper he had turned up no major evidence of paedophile activity , even though he still had months ' of investigation before him .
" Today we are left with a ruinous wreck beyond salvage and a continuing pall of doubt and suspicion hanging over our diplomatic service , " opposition foreign affairs spokesman Laurie Brereton said .
But the government responded by pressing ahead with the original inquiry , established in May , appointing a new head to lead it .
Critics say that if there were many paedophiles in senior posts in the Foreign Affairs Department then a secret inquiry would be open to internal influence and would become a public service whitewash .
Accordingly , they demand an open investigation .
A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said the appointment of a new inquiry head , administrative law expert Pamela O'Neil , showed the government 's commitment to pursue the matter .
A report is due in May next year .
One Australian diplomat has been prosecuted this year for having sex with a Cambodian boy under 16 but was acquitted .
Police have investigated others .
A newspaper reported allegations in April that diplomats had directed Australian government aid to certain foreign orphanages to secure sex with children .