Jesus once said: “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble… it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” To be a representative of institutional Christianity after last week is to feel the weight of that Read more
The Catholic Church in Poland says they have recorded cases of 382 clergymen who have abused 625 victims under the age of 18 since 1990. The figure includes 198 priests and friars who abused minors under 15 years old and 184 clergy who abused victims between 15 and 18, according to Wojciech Sadlon, head of Read more
A Wellington Catholic high school has agreed to remove a photo in its auditorium of a proven sex abuser of multiple boys. It has been on display till now, despite the Marists in 2009 upholding a complaint from an ex-student that Father Durning sexually assaulted him. Read more
Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions has confirmed that its investigation will include those abused by any person in a pastoral role in a faith-based institution. The clarification came in a “plain English” version of the terms of reference for the royal commission posted Read more
The Catholic Church’s National Office for Professional Standards (NOPS) has called in private investigators to examine historic sexual abuse at a former Dunedin high school. NOPS director Virginia Noonan would only say when contacted her office took all complaints seriously, and church protocols now required an independent party to investigate such complaints. Continue reading
Michael Dooley, the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, says a Vatican conference on sexual abuse is just ”the beginning”, despite the lack of concrete action. Last week he told the Otago Daily Times Insight the international gathering of bishops was about getting ”attitudes right”. Pope Francis had indicated new guidelines would follow on the response to Read more
The suppression order in relation to Cardinal George Pell has been lifted. In December, a jury of 12 of his fellow citizens found him guilty of five offences of child sexual abuse. No other charges are to proceed. Cardinal Pell has appealed the convictions. The verdict was unanimous. The jury took three days to deliberate Read more
Dr Murray Heasley says the outcome of the Vatican conference on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis was a major let-down for the survivors. Heasley is an Auckland-based spokesperson for the Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions and their Supporters. He was speaking from Rome to the Otago Daily Times’ Insight. Read more
A former Catholic Brother has admitted sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in her home while her family sat in the same room, with their eyes closed in prayer. Michael Beaumont was due to face a jury trial at the Auckland District Court on Tuesday but pleaded guilty to the historical indecent assault charge. Continue reading
A New Zealand sexual abuse survivor, Darryl Smith, has gone to the Vatican to take part in survivor meetings, coinciding with a gathering of the leaders of bishops’ conferences from around the world. Smith is hopeful of an audience with Pope Francis while in Rome. With him he is carrying a letter of introduction from Read more