GENEVA
AFP/The Local
June 8, 2018
Child abuse victims and human rights activists from 15 countries, including Switzerland, have launched a new pressure group to campaign against abuse by Catholic clerics.
“The church has got away with crime for too long,” said Peter Saunders, a British survivor of abuse, announcing the creation of the Ending Clerical Abuse (ECA) group at a media conference in Geneva on Thursday.
“ECA stands to compel the Roman Catholic church to end clerical abuse, especially child abuse, in order to protect children and to seek justice for victims,” added Saunders, a former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Jose Andres Murillo, a Chilean victim of clerical paedophilia who recently met with Pope Francis, said: “There is progress regarding clerical abuse in some countries, primarily due to brave victims who have fought to raise their voices.”
However, “there are many more places in the world where victims voices are silenced”, he added, notably Africa, Latin America and Asia. “ECA seeks to be that voice.”
Last month, all 34 Chilean bishops announced their resignation over a child sex abuse scandal that has come to haunt the reign of Pope Francis.
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