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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Press
June 20, 2002

Gagging clauses
Letter to the Editor
by Phillida Bunkle, MP Reikorangi, June 19

Sir--I applaud your report (June 19) against the gagging clauses used by the Catholic Church to impose silence when they reach an out-of court settlement over allegations of sexual abuse.

In my experience in other cases, these silencing provisions are thrust on victims whose lives are in turmoil from dealing with sexual abuse. They fear that if they do not accept them they will get no help. Once signed they fear that the meagre settlements they receive will be taken away.

By misusing its power in this way, the church doubles the abuse. Society is prevented from accurately identifying the problem or the perpetrators. The silenced victim gets no social validation and a sense of bewilderment about who caused the abuse continues.

Perhaps even more importantly, by silencing victims the church isolates them from each other and is therefore never called to account for the extent of the abuse or its role in it.