Victim Abused by Priest in East Staffs Hails New Film for Raising Awareness

Uttoxeter Advertiser
February 5, 2016

http://www.uttoxeteradvertiser.co.uk/VIDEO-Victim-abused-priest-East-Staffs-hails-new/story-28679425-detail/story.html

A promotional picture for the film.

A VICTIM of sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest has hailed a new movie for bringing the issue into the public eye.

Eamonn Flanagan, now 52, was abused from the age of 11 by Father Samuel Penney while serving as an altar boy at St Modwen Church in Guild Street, Burton.

Mr Flanagan spoke to the Advertiser about how new film Spotlight can help victims of abuse.

He said: "It's great that stories, like Spotlight, are giving clergy abuse, and sexual abuse in general, a bigger audience and a broader understanding of the issues abused children face.

"Every time there is further coverage of abuse, both by clergy and others, I think it helps to change the climate of shame that abused children often feel.

"Parents have better understanding of clergy abuse, and other forms of abuse, these days and that has to be better for our children.

"I would hope that empowers the children to feel more able to speak out, and consequently stop the abuse early.

"Abuse is a criminal offence and offenders need to be taken to court and stopped.

"Movies such as Spotlight can be difficult for survivors to watch, but it can play a role in supporting survivors to realise the abuse was a crime, it's not their fault, and they can move forward as others abused survivors have.

"It's not an easy path, but there can be better days ahead."

Penney was jailed for seven and a half years in 1993 for seven indecent assaults on children including Mr Flanagan – he was released in 1997.

The plot of Spotlight focuses on the true story of a group of journalists in Boston, USA, who uncovered sexual abuse by Catholic priests and that the church had been deliberately been covering the offences up.