By KATH GANNAWAY
Church abuse inquiry report welcomed…
THE release last week of the Betrayal of Trust report has been described as historic and far-reaching by Healesville campaigners against sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church.
The State Government Inquiry Into The Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Organisations delivered its findings to the Victorian Parliament on Wednesday 13 November, making 15 recommendations.
Principal among them is a recommendation for a new law making failing to report serious child abuse, or concealing it, a criminal offence.
Former St Brigid’s Catholic School teacher Pam Krstic and parent Ian Lawther were among reform advocates, victims and their families, who attended the Rally of Hope on the steps of Parliament following the release by inquiry chairwoman Georgie Crozier MP.
Fr David Daniel and Fr Paul Pavlou, who served respectively from 1990 to 1994 and 2005 to 2007, were each convicted of sex offences against children in Healesville and put on the sex offenders’ register.
Both convictions came from police action initiated by victims outside of the Catholic Church’s investigations.
The inquiry found that the majority of evidence received, about 80 per cent, related to the criminal abuse of children within the Catholic Church and, among other findings, that it trivialised the problem, contributed to abuse not being disclosed and ensured that the community remained uninformed and that perpetrators were not held accountable.
Ms Krstic, Mr Lawther and another Healesville parent, who uses the pseudonym Lisa Smith, were among hundreds of individuals and organisations who made submissions to the inquiry.
Mr Lawther welcomed the report saying he first called for an inquiry in 2002.
He said the acknowledgement of the stories of victims, including their families, and the frank and powerful response by the inquiry was vindication and validation for many who held their experiences silently within themselves, in some cases for decades, or who were ostracised within their own communities for speaking out against the church.
“To have this committee come down with recommendations is just wonderful – if wonderful is a word you can use for something that should never needed to have come about,” Mr Lawther said.
Ms Krstic said the experience had been uplifting with all 20 members of the inquiry speaking in the two Parliaments with emotion and understanding.
“Georgie Crozier and Frank McGuire (inquiry committee member) came and spoke at the rally as well and you could see they felt was a privilege to do the work they have done and that they can make a difference,” she said.
The recommendations include making it offence for anyone not to report a serious indictable offence, making grooming a criminal offence, requiring non-government organisations receiving tax-exemptions or funding from the Victorian Government to be incorporated and adequately insured, amending laws to exclude criminal child abuse from the limitations period for prosecution, clarify the Working with Children requirements to ensure organisations are required to report offences.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has said the Victorian Government would act immediately to draft legislation on a number of the key recommendations, including creating a new grooming offence and a new child endangerment offence.
Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart responded to the report saying the church hoped the inquiry and its recommendations would assist the healing of those who have been abused and enhance the care of victims and their families as well as strengthening preventative measures that are in place.
“It is the worst betrayal of trust in my lifetime in the Catholic Church,” he said.
Describing the history of abuse in the church, he said the report sets out inexcusable failures in the church’s response, mainly in the period from 1960 to 1985.
He said the Catholic Church in Victoria supports the inquiry’s key recommendations, but did not touch on the contentious issues of changes which would make the church a legal entity that can be sued, or the sanctity of the confessional.
Mr Lawther said the inquiry showed an appreciation for the pain the victims went through in giving their submissions, but tempered his response, saying the ordeal for many was not over.
“It’s something we should never, ever forget.
“We should be able to learn from past mistakes and try not to bury them – as so many victims have been buried,” he said.
“People would believe that Pam and I are the only victims, but apart from being effected so badly by this, we know of more victims and we see people falling apart in front of our eyes… but there’s never been anything done to encourage them to come forward.”
