Hundreds of clerical sex abuse cases confirmed in Australia

More than 600 cases of child sex abuse have been confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church in the Australian state of Victoria.

However, campaigners say the true number of abuse victims could be up to 10,000.

The figures which were released in a submission to a state parliamentary inquiry into the handling of abuse cases, have been described by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, as "horrific and shameful".

In its submission, the church said the 620 cases went back 80 years with the majority taking place between the 1960s and the 1980s.

The BBC reports that 45 cases are still being investigated.