AUSTRALIA
The Guardian (UK)
Helen Davidson
theguardian.com, Monday 9 December 2013
There have been no meetings between the Brisbane facilitator of the Catholic church’s Towards Healing process and her interstate counterparts to discuss or ensure consistency across states in the treatment of victims of sexual abuse, the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse has heard.
On the second day of the public hearing examining the Towards Healing program, the commission heard from Bernadette Rogers, a state facilitator in charge of meetings between abuse victims and the church. Rogers is currently director of the Queensland professional standards office and was a facilitator for Towards Healing from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2010.
The church established Towards Healing in 1996 in response to complaints of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. It has been criticised for its processes, which are allegedly heavily influenced by the church insurance company, and it has been accused of looking after the church’s interests over victims.
The questioning addressed the differences in Towards Healing after it was revised in 2009 as well as the specifics surrounding the facilitation meetings with abuse victim Joan Isaacs.
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