www.peterellis.co.nz : seeking justice for Peter Ellis : mail to: [email protected]

Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

Index: Home Page Peter Ellis
Index: Accusations in Institutions

The Evening Post
April 24, 2002

Plea to compile abuse figures
by Antony Paltridge

Figures on sexual abuse by Catholic Church clergy are vital to a more open and accountable way of dealing with the problem, says a survivors group.

The Catholic Church needs to compile accurate statistics of clergy found to be sexual abusers, says a group that supports women abused by clerics.

A spokeswoman for the Susanna Group, which represents women survivors of clerical abuse, served a four-year term on the Wellington diocese's protocol committee, which investigates allegations of abuse against Catholic clergy.

She questioned comments by New Zealand's top Catholic cleric, the Most Rev Cardinal Tom Williams, reported in The Evening Post last week, that the highest estimate of the incidence of sexual abuse was about 2 percent.

But the spokeswoman, who was abused by a Protestant minister and whom The Evening Post agreed not to name, said the 2 percent figure gave an incomplete picture.

Distinction needed to made between paedophiles, who abused children, and clergy who sexually abused adults, she said.

"The American statistics indicate that 10-15 percent of clergy of all denominations engage in sexually abusive activity covering these areas.

"This figure is not a bad estimate for New Zealand clergy, from our pooled knowledge and networking and other anecdotal information."

The spokeswoman said that as each diocese and each religious order had its own investigating committee, it was difficult to establish the level of actual misconduct and urged the Church to compile national statistics that were made public.

While the Church had significantly improved its handling of abuse complaints, she also urged further improvements to the investigations committee because its decisions were only recommendations to the bishop or head of the order.

She believed that details of disciplinary proceedings should, just like those of professional bodies such as the Nursing Council, be published, including if necessary, names of offenders. This was part of being open and accountable.

Catholic communications director Lyndsay Freer said the Church was constrained by the confidentiality sought by abuse victims, including that the civil authorities not be involved.

Mrs Freer said there was no mandatory reporting of sexual abuse. "We wish there was because it would make it easier for us."

Mrs Freer said each diocese and order knew how many complaints were received and how they were dealt with, but each was autonomous.

Alleged perpetrators were not named while investigations were under way because sometimes they were cleared and they had a right to their reputation, she said.

For those found guilty, identification could sometimes identify the victim and breach undertakings of confidentiality, she said.