AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
Kathleen McPhillips
12 Sep 2016
DURING his evidence to the royal commission Bishop Bill Wright made the observation that he felt concentrating on events of 30 years ago was not a useful exercise, and it is more important to understand what is happening now with regard to child abuse and protection. The Commissioner’s response was to state that the community had asked for a royal commission into organisations and that this be done in the public eye.
Understanding the history of abuse is vitally important to the health of the current community. Let me explain why.
First, it is vital to bring to public knowledge the traumatic events that occurred across Catholic parishes and schools in the last 60 or so years. The knowledge gleaned from the hearings provides the validation that the abuse occurred and had devastating effects. Those children are now adults and their suffering continues. Some took their lives. This needs to be investigated and acknowledged. Secondly, sexual abuse of a child is a crime and many perpetrators have not been bought to justice or have died. The crime of concealing abuse by failing to report it has also to be put to legal testing.
Thirdly, given that the Catholic Church represents 40 per cent of all cases before the royal commission it seems obvious to me there is a problem with a Church culture which has allowed such high levels of abuse to continue. Incredibly, very little research has been undertaken into the culture of clericalism by the Catholic Church. Most of the religious leaders seemed at a loss to understand why it happened. Brother Peter Carroll, the Provincial of the Marist Brothers, stated that the order was thinking about undertaking research into why over 150 brothers have been identified as sexual abusers. Let’s hope this happens.
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