Abuse Victim Refuses To Leave Vatican Inquiry

Sky News
February 6, 2016

http://news.sky.com/story/1637233/abuse-victim-refuses-to-leave-vatican-inquiry

Peter Saunders was a victim of sexual abuse by two priests

A British member of the Pope's advisory commission on sexual abuse in the clergy has refused to step down - despite receiving a vote of no confidence.

Peter Saunders, an outspoken critic of the Vatican, said "the only person who can remove me is the person who appointed me: the Pope".

The Vatican had released a statement saying Mr Saunders, who himself was a victim of sexual abuse by two priests, had decided to take a leave of absence from the commission.

However, just hours later, the campaigner said he had not been aware of the Vatican's comments - and branded the commission a "disgrace".

Mr Saunders added: "They believe that child abuse is behind us, but it is in no way behind us."

His colleagues have accused of him of being hard to work with, and also claimed he speaks to the media too frequently.

Mr Saunders made headlines last year when he said Australian Cardinal George Pell should be dismissed over claims he failed to take action to protect children years ago.

Cardinal Pell is now the Vatican's economic minister.

Mr Saunders has also been vocal about a case of an alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in Chile and threatened to resign from the commission over the Vatican's handling of the case.

The Vatican says the commission, formed in 2013, is an advisory group and members should not comment on individual cases.

Mr Saunders' departure would leave just one other abuse survivor, Marie Collins, on the commission.

Last year, the commission successfully proposed that the Vatican create an in-house tribunal to hear cases of bishops accused of failing to protect their congregations.

The lack of bishop accountability has prompted criticism that the Vatican failed to punish or forcibly remove bishops who moved abusive priests from parish to parish where they could offend again, rather than report them to police or remove them from the ministry.

The Vatican has released no information about the commission's progress since it announced the Pope had agreed to create it.