Catholic Church Considers "Abuse Victims As Troublemakers"
By Pia Akerman
JOHN Ellis, whose lawsuit against the Catholic Church prompted a landmark ruling on the church's liability in sexual abuse claims, has condemned the church's Towards Healing process for treating victims like "troublemakers" and reviving their trauma. In a submission released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Mr Ellis and his wife Nicola describe their experience as solicitors who have acted for more than 200 victims of clerical sexual abuse. They say participation in Towards Healing, which the church offers as an alternative to legal action, has led to "significant re-traumatisation" for many victims through its lack of transparency and accountability. Mr Ellis himself has sought redress for being sexually abused by a priest in the 1970s, starting when he was a 14-year-old altar boy, and tried Towards Healing as an adult before suing the Sydney archdiocese trustees. The NSW Court of Appeal eventually ruled they could not be held liable for damages in abuse claims. The Ellises said victims who approached Towards Healing felt intimidated and were often discouraged from proceeding with their claim, rebuffed by being told to go away and "think about" whether they wanted to pursue a complaint. They said Towards Healing was an "overly legalistic process" that disadvantaged less-educated people by not providing enough information, while articulate complainants were viewed as "troublemakers" out to attack the church and therefore sidelined. "Complainants are often made to feel like they are a nuisance when they follow up to find out the progress of their matter," they said. "It is not uncommon for requests for action or information to go unanswered for months." The couple said victims' requests for information from the church were usually ignored and there seemed to be a "default position" by which victims would be told there had been no other complaints against the abuser. "Victims are sometimes told that there are no other complaints, even when this is not true," they said. "The impact of this is to reinforce to victims that they are not believed." The church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council has acknowledged some of the problems in its own submission and says the church leadership has endorsed development of reform proposals. The royal commission will hear evidence in December about Towards Healing and the experience of victims who have participated in it. Mr and Mrs Ellis said they were aware of a case where a victim was promised ongoing financial support but it was summarily terminated after they spoke publicly and critically of the church's response to the abuse claim. "Threats of cutting off therapeutic support have been made in an attempt to force people into settlements," they say.
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