Opinion by KATH GANNAWAY
AS a community, Healesville is generous in its recognition of its “unsung heroes”.
CFA and SES volunteers are the best example. The respect and accolades they receive for putting their lives on the line to help others, and potentially save lives, is undisputedly deserved.
But, it’s not the same for everyone.
My heroes are three people who for the past eight years have fought for justice for children abused by Catholic priests in Healesville, and laws to protect all children in the future.
The handing down of the Betrayal of Trust – Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Non-Government Organisations on Wednesday is vindication of the stand taken by Pam Krstic, Ian Lawther and Lisa* against the Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse by priests.
They are what the Inquiry calls “secondary victims”. Pam was a teacher at St Brigid’s Catholic School when convicted paedophile parish priests David Daniel and later Paul Pavlou offended. Ian and Lisa* are parents of victims.
In 2006, frustrated at the stonewalling of the Catholic Church, Pam and Ian founded HEAR (Healesville Education and Awareness Raising) and advocated for education of parents in schools to recognise grooming behaviour.
At the same time, they tackled the Catholic Church’s Melbourne Archdiocese’s practices for handling clergy sexual abuse under its flawed Melbourne Response.
That role expanded to actively working with and supporting Lisa* when, after failed and traumatic dealings with the Catholic Church, she reported Pavlou to police.
Each has paid the price of publicly calling the church to account. With a few exceptions, they have been ostracised, and in some cases maligned by a parish in denial.
Pam lost her teaching career and all three have had to deal with health, emotional and financial problems that come with the territory when you are David to the Catholic Church’s Goliath.
The devastation each has felt over the years at the lack of understanding and support from the parish has been in many ways the hardest thing to accept.
For Ian, one of the hardest, was to be told by a parish priest that he was “unChristian”.
It’s not just Healesville. There are numerous references in the Betrayal of Trust report of victims being made to feel their speaking out was damaging to the parish.
The committee heard about divisions in communities after disclosures, particularly in religious organisations.
One family explained “The Church just closes ranks around itself, but also the Catholic community does in lots of ways. We’ve lost friends … because we know their children were abused, but they’ve done nothing about it.”
In Good Faith & Associates, the victim advocacy group for which Pam has worked for the past three years spoke of “a judgemental and hostile church community”. Ann Ryan from Ballarat said “ … more than anything, I still wonder at the silence of the Catholic community”.
Sandra Clark from Melbourne, the mother of a victim, told the Inquiry that religious communities can be challenged when confronted with the issue of criminal child abuse.
“I have been absolutely ostracised in the districts surrounding where I live even now,” she said.
It was identified too that there was considerable work to be undertaken by non-government organisations in rebuilding communities and re-establishing trust.
The report quoted Pam Krstic as pointing to Canada as a place where examples of restorative justice and models of how parishes can rebuild and regenerate can be found.
Many newcomers to St Brigid’s Parish are unaware of the trauma inflicted on the victims and on the parish by David Daniel, Paul Pavlou and by the Catholic Archdiocese. Unpalatable as it is, they need to know.
Many do know. And, like Ann Ryan, I’ve wondered, and continue to wonder, at the silence of the Healesville Catholic community.
It’s not past history. The maligning continues and the tragedy is that because of it, Healesville is not a safe place for other victims to disclose.
Now would be a good time to acknowledge publicly the truth, the pain, and the courage of three people who in my eyes are unsung heroes to whom the entire Healesville community owes a debt of gratitude.
The pages of the Mail are open – PO Box 470, Healesville. 3777, or editor@yvnews.com.au .
The Inquiry Report entitled Betrayal of Trust – can be found at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/
*Lisa is a pseudonym.
