Teachers and childcare staff aren’t taught how to spot child abuse. If they suspect – or even know – a child is being abused, it’s up to them to decide if they’ll pass on their fears to agencies. Both these things have to change, say child advocacy campaigners. They want teachers and daycare staff to Read more
Representatives of Canada’s Indigenous communities were in Rome last week for a series of meetings with Pope Francis. The purpose of their visit was to urge Francis to publicly apologize for the abuse that their ancestors – and even some of them – suffered at residential schools run by the Catholic Church. But can a Read more
The fact our children and youth are suffering increased abuse is sad and distressing, says Children’s Commissioner, Judge Frances Eivers. Eivers’ comment comes as abuse of New Zealand children in state care keeps increasing. Oranga Tamariki’s new Safety of Children in Care Report says almost 500 were harmed in 2020-21 alone. The reported statistics are Read more
Three Kiwi children have already died from alleged child abuse this year – that’s three deaths in just nine weeks. They coincide with the jailing of a Rotorua woman, Leza Rawiri, who watched a young boy being beaten to death by his father two years ago. A children’s charity that trains people to identify and Read more
Former Marist brother Kevin Healy has been sentenced to a third term of home detention, this time for three months, for the indecent assault of boys in his care. Judge Chris Sygrove told Healy, 82, on Friday that he should have spent a “long time in jail” as a younger man for his serial sexual Read more
Pope Francis is urging people to be cautious in the way they interpret the report released in October about child sexual abuse by French Catholic clergy. The “historical situation” must be interpreted by the standards of the time, Francis says. The October report from an independent commission of inquiry confirmed extensive sexual abuse of minors Read more
In a quick turnaround from news reported last week, France’s bishops’ conference says it will uphold the confessional seal, regardless of what has been confessed. Last week it was widely reported that the conference would break the seal in abuse cases. “One cannot change the canon law for France as it is international. A priest Read more
A statement from “UN experts” aims to force the Holy See and the Catholic Church to surrender to abortion and gender ideology. It is likely to be published during the UN Human Rights Council’s current session. The UN experts’ statement will probably be made under the guise of demands that the Vatican takes all necessary steps Read more
Tens of thousands of reports of concern about child abuse in Hawke’s Bay have been made to Oranga Tamariki in the past five years, but less than 4 percent have been substantiated. The grim statistics were released to Hawke’s Bay Today under the Official Information Act for the years 2016 to 2021. The data covers Read more
More than ever, Pope Francis is urging families, educational and public institutions to protect children and tackle the scourge of child abuse. He described child abuse, paedophilia and child pornography, as “psychological murder.” Speaking to members of the Meter Association in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on May 15, the pope noted that the Internet is Read more