Spotlight Victim Says Vatican Still Failing

Sky News
February 25, 2016

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/nthamerica/2016/02/25/spotlight-victim-says-vatican-still-failing.html


A victim of abuse by a Catholic priest, whose story is the focus of the Oscar contender Spotlight, says the Vatican is still failing to tackle the scandal.

Phil Saviano was repeatedly assaulted, along with several school friends, by a priest in their small home town near Boston in the 1960s.

He revealed his abuse in the 1990s and a decade later handed the dossiers of information to the Boston Globe's 'Spotlight' investigations team.

Their work uncovered evidence that the church in Boston was aware of abuse by dozens of priests and had sought to keep it quiet.

The movie Spotlight, starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams, is regarded as a favourite to land the Academy Award for Best Picture at Sunday's ceremony.

Mr Saviano, who still lives in Boston, told Sky News he has been disappointed by the Vatican's response to the now-global scandal.

He said: 'People who were so hopeful about Pope Francis are starting to wonder 'Jeez, maybe he's no better than his predecessors'.

'It gives you the impression that the Church really devalues children and their vulnerability and that they carry this abuse for the rest of their lives.

'It is a really big problem and I don't see that the Vatican is anywhere near getting a grip on it.'

The investigation brought two Boston institutions into conflict and the Spotlight team say it was a challenge to take on the Catholic archdiocese.

Sacha Pfeiffer, who is played by Oscar-nominated McAdam in the movie, said: 'I hope it reminds people that this is why you should buy a newspaper.

'If you don't have investigative teams doing this work you end up with institutions that are unquestioned and not held to account.'

And victims have told the Spotlight team that, like Mr Saviano, they are pleased with the movie.

Mike Rezendes, played by Ruffalo - also Oscar-nominated - in the film, said: 'Their truth was denied for decades. Most of them believed they were alone and somehow at fault for what happened to them.

'Our work showed there was a systemic problem and it was not their fault and it liberated them to come forward. The movie amplifies that.'

Describing his abuse, Mr Saviano said: 'It never occurred to me that there were other priests doing the same thing, never mind that the bishops would know about it.'

He added: 'What the film brings back for me mostly is not so much my childhood experiences but that process of going through the 90s, talking to the news media and trying to get them to take a closer look at the issue - not individual priests, but I wanted them to go up another level.'

The movie, directed by Tom McCarthy, has already picked up a string of awards including Best Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.