AUSTRALIA
The Age
April 1, 2015
Nino Bucci, Marissa Calligeros
A victim of paedophile priest Ronald Dennis Pickering called on those suffering not to turn to arson, as police investigate three separate fires this week at churches linked to predator priests.
“Pickering escaped, the church didn’t assist in bringing him to justice, when victims turned to the church they offered them no support, and then he died,” said Mike, who was abused almost 50 years ago when he was an altar boy at St Mary’s in St Kilda East, which someone attempted to set alight early Monday.
“If a victim is lighting these fires, it’s a symptom of anger. But you certainly don’t want to encourage this as a way of dealing with anger.”
Christian holy days such as Easter could trigger strong emotions within some victims, Mike said, but he hoped that the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse would provide some justice.
It remains unclear whether a sex abuse victim, or victims, are responsible for the three fires at churches in Brighton, St Kilda East and Dandenong since Sunday.
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