Former child migrants still await Church apology

Former Maltese child migrants, who met in Australia last Monday to discuss the government's offer to set up a monument to mark their experiences, have expressed disappointment at the Church's lack of apology for their plight.

The former migrants have been campaigning for a plaque to mark the exploitation and abuse they suffered after being shipped off to Australia as children in the 1950s and 1960s.

Many were abused physically and some sexually. In all, just over 300 Maltese children were sent to Australia - supposedly for schooling.

David Plowman, the president of the child migrant association, C-MOM, said yesterday they had been in talks with the government over the monument since the end of August.

The C-MOM executive, he said, met on Monday to discuss letters that had been exchanged between the government and C-MOM and to formulate a response in relation to various matters that had still not been finalised.

Because many of C-MOM's members live far away from where the executive meets, the members resolved to allow the executive to handle the matter.

"To date, the exchanges have been cordial, frank and constructive. There are still some matters that are outstanding, including the timing of any monument and the Church's position.

"C-MOM has made a recommendation concerning the former, and we await the government's response.

"With respect to the Church, C-MOM has agreed to the government's request that copies of the correspondence be formally provided to the Church to allow it to determine its position."

Former child migrant Joseph Azzopardi, recently interviewed in The Times, said:

"I as an ex-child migrant would like to see the Church commit to an expression of regret with an apology to those who did not get what was promised to them when they were sent here (Australia) as children.

"The Church was the main administrator of the scheme and therefore it must face the fact that burying its head in the sand will only make things worse.

"The Church should realise that with all the hurt, there has to be an act of sorrow for there could be no healing without the Church accepting the truth.

"I hope this will make someone in the Church hierarchy listen."

When asked recently whether the Church was willing to apologise to the migrants, a spokesman for the Curia had said:

"As regards allegations that former child migrants experienced abuse, the Church cannot but condemn the actions of those responsible, whoever they may have been."