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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Dominion
June 24, 2002

Church owns up to 38 abuse cases
NZPA

The Catholic Church in New Zealand says 38 confirmed cases of sexual abuse have been committed by men in its ranks.

Senior church figures admitted the extent of offending and that their previous way of dealing with offenders was wrong.

Church authorities said that under new policies, they would remove any known paedophiles from public ministry and strongly recommend victims to take criminal complaints to the police.

The new openness is reflected in a new stance on confidentiality clauses, which prohibit revealing details of settlements.

The St John of God Brothers said they had ordered lawyers to remove confidentiality clauses from deals worth $300,000 already made with five victims and to ensure future agreements did not have them.

The biggest order of priests in New Zealand, the Society of Mary, gave a written undertaking it would not take action against victims who spoke out. It had paid $110,000 to five people who made accusations against three priests -- none of whom remained in the order.

Bishops from New Zealand's six dioceses said committees set up in the early 1990s to deal with sexual abuse complaints had substantiated 38 claims dating back to the 1950s. They included complaints against priests, brothers and lay members of the church in positions of authority, and covered cases involving children and teenagers, as well as adults receiving pastoral care.

Church authorities declined previous requests to reveal the number of cases but the bishops decided this week, in line with the new policy of openness, to give the figures.

Catholic Communications director Lyndsay Freer said the change in attitude had developed during the past 12 years.

"The church . . . has come to understand the need for openness and transparency so that people can be empowered to come forward with complaints and the healing process can take place."

In an open apology, the vice-provincial of the Society of Mary, Father Tim Duckworth, admitted the past practice within the church of moving offenders to other parishes or schools was wrong.