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 Press
July 8, 2003
Bishops to mull panel on sex abuse
Catholic
bishops meet today to discuss setting up a national body to evaluate sex abuse
allegations.
Until now complainants unhappy with the way the Church has handled allegations
of abuse had few options of appeal.
Protocol committees or religious orders have occasionally hired independent
consultants to review cases -- often a retired non-Catholic high court judge.
This year a Catholic working party was set up to consider an independent review
process.
Catholic Communications director Lyndsay Freer said
protocol committees would still handle complaints of abuse within the Church.
"But there also needs to be some kind of independent evaluation so that
people who are not happy with an outcome can go to an independent appeal,"
she said.
The working party reports today to members of the Conference of Bishops and
heads of religious orders meeting in