Put Survivor on Hope and Healing Board

By Haidee V Eugenio
Pacific Daily News
April 29, 2017

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/04/29/snap-put-survivor-hope-and-healing-board/100919566/

The world’s largest network of priest sex abuse survivors says a program to help Guam clergy abuse victims should have an abuse survivor on its board.

“To claim to know what survivors want and need in a ‘Hope and Healing’ program without having a survivor on the board is a bit patronizing," said Joelle Casteix, volunteer western regional director for the St. Louis-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. "Survivors are the ones who truly know how they can be helped the best."

Hope and Healing Guam is a program initiated and funded by, but independent of, the Archdiocese of Agana. Its goal is to provide professional counseling, treatment, spiritual healing, compensation and justice to clergy sex abuse victims. The initial funding for the program is $1 million.

Alicia Limtiaco, former U.S. Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, chairs the program’s board. Six other members will be named in the weeks ahead. The board will review and evaluate claims by each person accusing Guam clergy of sex abuse. Counseling and treatment has started for those who call the program's hotline, 1-888-649-5288.

The administrative officers include Andrew Camacho as president, Julie Perez-Bollinger as vice president and secretary, and Joe Santos as treasurer.

“I have noticed that (Executive Director Michael) Caspino is loading Hope and Healing Guam with all kinds of stakeholders to stop protests every Sunday, … but he is missing a very important group that has to be represented: survivors,” Casteix said.

Hope and Healing has made no comment on Casteix's call for a survivor to be part of its board.

Casteix, who has worked on child sex abuse prevention for almost 15 years, said she's against the Hope and Healing program because it strips victims of their power and the archdiocese of any accountability in the civil justice system.

“But if ... Caspino wants to set up a program that will provide victims a decent voice, he should add a victim to the board. Victims must be given power and agency, not just cash and counseling,” Casteix said.

Contact: heugenio@guampdn.com