Church policy on misconduct

By Luisa Qiolevu
Fiji Times
April 4, 2017

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=395399

Archbishop Peter Loy Chong.

THE Catholic Church has in place a policy on misconduct and sexual abuse, says Roman Catholic Church Archbishop of Suva Peter Loy Chong.

He stated this during an interview by this newspaper after being questioned on few cases where Catholic priests were reported to have molested women in the past.

"We have dealt with some cases in the past, but we will not reveal more on that.

"We have a very strict policy for any misconduct in our ministry so we have a very clear policy where we don't condone such actions," he said.

He said a professional standard resource group would deal with the case if reported.

"The group does the investigations and if that person is involved with misconduct then there's a clear instruction that he is taken off the ministry and goes through counselling while for sexual abuse means total removal from the ministry," said Archbishop Chong.

"We have a zero tolerance approach to sexual abuse and misconduct. It's like having an affair with a woman (consensual), but for sexual abuse of a minor that is an automatic removal," he said.