IRELAND
RTE News
Abuse survivor Marie Collins has resigned from a panel established by Pope Francis to address clerical sexual abuse, accusing senior Vatican officials of “shameful” resistance to its work.
Ms Collins’ departure is a blow to the pontiff’s attempts to demonstrate that the Church is serious about combating the abuse that has profoundly damaged its image over recent decades.
She is the second abuse survivor to leave the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
Briton Peter Saunders was sidelined last year after a dispute with other members over how to handle allegations of serial abuse by an Italian priest that were brought to the panel’s attention.
Mr Saunders subsequently told AFP he felt betrayed by Francis and that he had been tricked into taking part in a “smoke and mirrors” exercise.
In her resignation letter, Ms Collins said she believed Francis had acted sincerely when he set up the panel to advise him on steps to make minors safer.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.