Posts Tagged Royal Commission
The Catholic Church’s dirty secrets: abuse, injustice and a damning letter / Newcastle Herald
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on September 23, 2014
He’s the man whose statement to Hunter police about being sexually abused by a Catholic priest launched Strike Force Georgiana in 2007, and ultimately led to a royal commission.
“His name is John Parmeter, and he wants people to know who he is as Strike Force Georgiana enters its eighth year investigating historic child sexual abuse cases.
“The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will hold its 17th public hearing (the week of Sept. 22), with more than 16,000 calls about child sexual abuse so far, and another three years to go.
“The priest, Peter Brock, died last week. Today, Mr Parmeter reveals the ugly truth – what he calls the ‘dirty secrets’ – about the Catholic Church’s elevation of Father Brock to a national role in 2010, despite knowing of his ‘sexual misconduct’ with Mr Parmeter and his twin brother from when they were nine years old.”
By Joanne McCarthy, Newcastle Herald — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Child abuse victim support groups outraged over Cardinal George Pell’s testimony / ABC News Australia
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Clericalism, Voice of the Faithful on August 22, 2014
Support groups for child sexual abuse victims have expressed their outrage after Cardinal George Pell’s testimony at the royal commission in Melbourne last night (Aug. 21) …
“Saying it would not be appropriate for legal culpability to be ‘foisted’ on church leaders, he drew an analogy between the Catholic Church and a trucking company, citing a hypothetical example of a case involving a woman who was molested by a truck driver …
“‘It was a highly offensive comparison and showed that, at the end of the day, all he was concerned with was protecting himself and making excuses for behavior that is inexcusable,’ (said SNAP member Nicky Davis, who was present at the inquiry).”
By Thomas Oriti, ABC News Australia — Click here to read the rest of this story
Where Does the Buck Stop in the Catholic Church? / ucanews.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Clericalism, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on March 31, 2014
You could be forgiven for not knowing where the buck stops in the Catholic Church these days. In any society, organization or Church community, it is important to know who is ultimately responsible in decision making; otherwise, chaos or worse would prevail. In an unprecedented (for a cardinal) cross examination in court last week, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney seemed confused about responsibility in the Sydney Church. He was speaking for the Archdiocese of Sydney which he led from 2001 until his transfer to a job at the Vatican, appearing before the Royal Commission into child sex abuse in institutions, including the Church’s, across Australia.” By Michael Kelly, SJ, Executive Director of ucanews.com — Click here to read the rest of this commentary.
Australian Inquiry Scrutinizes Church / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on December 31, 2013
The clergy sexual abuse scandal in Australia seems to be following a familiar script, with many acts still to come.
Australian survivors of clerical sexual abuse have been complaining for years about their dissatisfaction with Towards Healing, the Catholic church’s national protocol for responding to abuse. The inner workings of Towards Healing were laid bare in November and December during two weeks of public hearings held here before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse …
“One thousand private hearings have already been conducted. One of the most shocking revelations in early December concerned the handling of allegations of abuse by Marist Br. Raymond Foster, a teacher who committed suicide in 1999, just hours before he was due to face charges of abusing a 13-year-old boy in a north Queensland school in the early 1970s.”
By Stephen Crittenden, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the entire article.
Catholic Church Admits Grave Faults in Dealing with Abuse Victims / The Guardian
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on October 3, 2013
The Catholic Church has admitted grave faults in its dealings with victims of sex abuse by priests. The peak body that represents the church, the Truth Justice and Healing Council, has reported shoddy record-keeping, secrecy, inconsistent outcomes and lack of effective supervision of the dioceses and religious orders responsible for the care of victims.” By David Marr, The Guardian
Read the rest of the story by clicking here.
Cases of Sexual Abuse Will Shock the Nation / Australian Regional Media
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on September 17, 2013
More than 4000 people have reported allegations of child sexual abuse to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse since it began in January. In the first day of public hearings in Sydney on Monday (Sept. 16), Commissioner Justice Peter McClellan warned the stories the commission had already heard would shock the nation. The commission has already heard the cases of nearly 400 victims, with a further 449 waiting to tell their stories and another 1178 people yet to be assessed for private hearings.” By MyDailyNews.com of Australian Regional Media
Read the rest of this story by clicking here, and you may be interested in this editorial point of view from Australia’s Newcastle Herald, “Child Sex Abuse Inquiry.”
Australia’s Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse Set to Hear 5,000 Testimonies
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on April 4, 2013
Long Haul as 5,000 Line Up to reveal Tales of Heartache to Royal Commission
At least 5000 people could tell their traumatic stories to the royal commission into child sex abuse. And the commission says the reputations of individuals or institutions will not be spared if naming and shaming was justified.” By Janet Fife-Yeomans, Herald Sun
Sexual Abuse Allegations & Claims of Church Cover-up Triggers Australian Government Inquiry
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, church reform, Clergy, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Statutes of Limitations, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on November 28, 2012
After a string of sexual abuse accusations against priests and claims of a Catholic Church cover-up, Australia’s primer minister ordered on Nov. 5 a federal inquiry into allegations of child sex abuse in state and religious institutions and community groups, according to Associated Press. The extent of scandal for the Church appears staggering. Following are just some of the articles covering the crisis that have appeared since the announcement earlier this month (stories generally are listed chronologically beginning with the most recent) —
- Abolish Statutory time Limits in Child Cases: Archbishop
- Protecting the Abused from Further Trauma During the Royal Commission
- A Church in Need of Reform
- An Unholy Mess: Addressing Sexual About in the Catholic Church
- Church’s Clinic Shielded Pedophiles
- Victim’s Parents Shown Lack of Empathy, They Tell Inquiry
- Church Calls for Legislative Change to Mandatory and Police Reporting
- Legal Shield on Abuse ‘Must Be Axed’
- Church to Review Sexual Abuse Complaints Policy
- Victims to Be Able to Sue Church
- Advice to Bishops on Royal Commission from Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
- Catholic Church’s Secret Files
- Church Funding Pedophiles’ Legal Defense
- I Won’t Take Confession at All in Case a Pedophile Walks in, Says Father Chris Riley
- Politicians Say Confession Should Not Protect Abuse
- Bishop Hints at Possibility of Pedophile Ring
- Australia Orders Federal Child Sex Abuse Inquiry
- Vic Priest Speaks Out against Pell
- Australia’s Catholic Church Acknowledges “Shame” of Child Abuse
- Brothers ‘Pack Raped’ Boys
- Catholic Church Can’t Be Trusted to Conduct Internal Investigations: Parliamentary Inquiry
- Top Cop Attacks Catholic Church
- Clergy Abuse Inquiry Shockingly Shallow
- Pedophile Worked at Catholic School for Five Years
- Abuse Inquiry Effectiveness Queried
- Priest Pleads for State Action
Although allegations have been made in the past, Australia now feels the full impact of the Church’s worldwide clergy sexual abuse scandal.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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