Charles Cirillo, Ħamrun
Justice for paedophiles' victims
It should be pointed out to Joe Zammit (The Sunday Times, July 4) that the alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests have always formed part of the Archbishop's flock, even before 2003, when they first made their claims.
The fact that they were brought up by the same priests who allegedly abused them is indeed terrifying. According to press reports, it is only lately that the Curia's Response Team has started to seriously investigate the alleged abuse.
Many of the alleged victims suffered shame and depression and were constantly thinking that justice would never be done. In some cases, when one has a problem with the local Church authorities, one often feels like banging one's head against a wall. I have experienced this for almost five years now.
The Church, besides its holy mission, is also an institution made up of human beings. It has reached a stage where it cannot face all the worldwide paedophile accusations levelled against the clergy and so, as in our case, has finally decided to take the bull by the horns.
That is why the Vatican has sent over a senior official, Mgr Charles Scicluna, over here. Incredibly, in one week he did more work than the Curia's Response Team did in seven years.
It is indeed a pity that Pope Benedict XVI is bearing the brunt of what happened, even before he was elected. As the Holy Father himself observed, the Catholic Church is fighting the enemy within, which is not so easy to do.
Of course, proceedings in our criminal courts are still underway, but seemingly at a snail's pace, until at least a few weeks ago. For me, this was all in favour of the alleged abusers, thus making the alleged victims feel that justice is still a long way off and thus give up hope.
In fact, it was also reported that the alleged victims have had a meeting with President George Abela in his capacity as chairman of the Commission for the Administration of Justice.
I am four-square with the alleged victims because, from personal experience, I know they are facing great odds. If I were in their position I would try to elicit more public support. After all, justice delayed is justice denied.
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Joe Zammit
Aug 4th 2010, 21:58
Charles, what you said and the way you said it prove me right.
You have felt the need to point out to me that the alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests have always formed part of the Archbishop's flock, even before 2003, when they first made their claims. It' just a futile pointing out! In my letter I have declared that these alleged victims had formed part of the Catholic Church before 2003.
You have proved me right also when you have kept repeating 'alleged victims'. So you are confirming that their abusers are also 'alleged'.
Therefore, there is only one conclusion: to date there is no Maltese paedophile priest. Your whole letter proves this statement. Thank you!
Joe Xuereb
Jul 28th 2010, 12:19
@ Zammit. Quote: 'to protect the good name of all the people involved'. Quite! But most of all the 'good' name of the institution that calls the shots. And the 'good' name of the alleged abusers. They will continue to be alleged (read innocent, and therefore good) until the victims, now men, set in motion the legal process. For them this is a Catch-22, a bind. They are still believers after all. The church knows this and plays the card. In the meantime, the victims are encouraged to put the whole miserable episode that fairly screwed them up (and will continue to) by being patted on the back by a holy hand and - great honour this - a gift of a string of beads touched by the holy man himself. This wouldn't appease me; but then I am not the type to be held to ransom. I was abused and I sorted it out myself by walking the walk. And they know what they can do with their back-patting, their slimey words and their beads.
Joe Zammit
Jul 27th 2010, 17:16
Monsignor Scicluna is speaking:
A poor English translation of that text has led people to think that the Holy See imposed secrecy in order to hide the facts. But this was not so.
Secrecy during the investigative phase served to protect the good name of all the people involved; first and foremost, the victims themselves, then the accused priests who have the right - as everyone does - to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The Church does not like showcase justice.
Norms on sexual abuse have never been understood as a ban on denouncing the crimes to the civil authorities.
To date there is no Maltese paedophile priest!
Joe Xuereb
Jul 25th 2010, 21:47
I AM SICK AND TIRED TO THE BACK TEETH OF READING:
The onus of this disgusting travesty is thrown back to the people (as in, why don't you kick up a fuss when paedophilia happens by grandad, etc.? as if that were the same as churchy paedophilia). More insidiously, when it is thrown in one's face that it is the responsibility of the victims to report the abuse suffered. The victims are believers at least and would find it difficult to report a person they are indoctrinated to look up to, even if he turns out to be an abuse villain. So come on Church! don't use that insdious tack. The 'child-now-a-man' is terrified of losing his soul and you play THAT blackmailing rat of a card? In the meantime, church supporters like a certain Joe Zammit and somebody else who should know better, ride the crest and claim, 'innocent until proven guilty.....there are no paedophile priests in Malta'.
Louise Vella
Jul 25th 2010, 17:02
When all is said and done, if the Church has its way we would never learn about any cases of paedophile priests, just as we ignored this problem for centuries while the Church swept these problems under the carpet. Now we know the problem is endemic to the Catholic Church - it has erupted wherever the Catholic clergy has a dominant position.
The Catholic church is more interested in upholding its reputation. Priests are trusted which is why it is easier for them than for others to commit these crimes. If these crimes are advertised, the clergy will lose trust and parents will be more careful about who they leave their children with. The Curia's Response Team chairman, retired judge Victor Caruana Colombo, besides chairing these cases in the utmost secrecy, tried to publicly defend the system by spurious legal arguments which have now been disowned even by Catholic clergymen like Mgr Scicluna. Retired judge Victor Caruana Colombo should be awarded the decoration Pro Ecclesia et Pontefice, if he has not already got it, but he does not deserve the gratitude of all the child victims of paedophile priests.
Gerry Cowie
Jul 25th 2010, 17:52
I should be very interested to know the concrete evidence you can produce for your claims!
Joe Zammit
Jul 25th 2010, 16:29
Church law is not reticent on such crimes. Discipline of the clergy for sexual offences is not new in the history of the Catholic Church, and canonical structures have long been in place to address the problem.
So, responding to the current crisis, Mgr Scicluna is rightly pointing to commitment to the rule of law as found in Canon law, thereby allowing injured individuals and communities to heal.
From the legal point of view, if paedophilia has been committed in Malta, only the Maltese criminal court can deal with it.
The alleged offender has the right to a lawyer. And only if convicted by the court of first instance, or second instance if he appeals, can be called a paedophile. In the meantime he is to be presumed innocent.
That is why, to date, there is no Maltese paedophile priest.
Joseph Calleja
Jul 25th 2010, 17:22
Mr Zammit in case you missed the announcement about the defrocking of the priest in Ohio, USA go to http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/23/pope-defrocks-u-s-priest-over-abuse-allegations/?iref=allsearch Cut and copy.
Also Mr Zammit the reason to date, there is no Maltese pedophile priest is because the church has been sweeping all of the abuses under the carpet. Now we have definite proof that there are Maltese paedophile priests. There are at least eight victims that have already testified. Maybe you should check with Mgr Scicluna. Joe, don't make it any worse, you are not helping. Yes Mr Zammit most priests are good but there is always the exception, even in Malta, and the Pope and Mgr Scicluna are very aware of those priests. You are the exception..
Joe Zammit
Aug 4th 2010, 21:50
Joseph, I thank you that you are agreeing with me, i.e., that to date there are no Maltese paedophile priests. You have agreed by mentioning alleged victims and no name of any Maltese priest. Thank you again for seeing eye to eye with me.
Joe Zammit
Jul 25th 2010, 15:59
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freibourg has been cleared of charges regarding a sexual abuse case, the offices of the public prosecutor in Konstanz, Germany, confirmed Wednesday.
The 71-year-old prelate, who today is the president of the German Bishops' Conference, was accused of giving a position in 1987 to a Cistercian religious known to have been guilty of sexual abuse.
From 1987 to 1992, then Father Zollitsch was in charge of archdiocesan personnel. The accusation was thus that of complicity in the crimes.
The public prosecutor's office established that there was no evidence to justify holding the archbishop responsible.
Joseph Calleja
Jul 25th 2010, 16:46
Hello Joe, how come you did not talk about the defrocking of the priest in the USA this week, probably skipped your mind. Anyway Mr Zammit we are talking about Maltese priests that abused at least eight Maltese children. Sometimes you remind me of the Las Vegas slogan.
" What happens within the church, stays within the church".
These kids now men need closure and the church does not seem in any hurry to close it.
Joseph Calleja
Jul 25th 2010, 14:54
I agree with you Mr Cirillo. If all this is left up to to the Curia's Response Team, it will take forever as it has done so far. As I mentioned many times before, putting the wolf in charge of the lambs will never work. I sympathize with the abused victims because all they have been promised is talks and meetings but nothing has changed and nothing will change. The Pope has sent Mgr Scicluna to smooth things out, the Pope is very aware of what went on with these victims. We found out a lot about the accusers but so far nothing whatsoever about the abusers. It seems like the abused kids, now men are being abused again. Why haven't these abusers been brought out to a court of law and charged as paedophiles? How long can these abused men wait for closure? The complaint was first made in 2003 and seven years later nothing has been done. Where is the justice? The Curia Response Team is the wolf appointed by the church. It is about time that these men get an an impartial Independent Response Team and get this case closed once and for all.
Louise Vella
Jul 25th 2010, 11:30
The Church's reaction has been typical. They shed crocodile tears over the victims' suffering but did little to go to the root of the problem. This is that the Church authorities have no obligation to report suspected cases to the police. Admittedly the civil authorities are often complicit in this game of omerta'. How else can one explain the inordinate time taken for these cases to move through the court system?
In the meantime the Chruch authorities play for time and hope for things to be forgotten with time by sending victims to its Response Team. This has been chaired by retired judge Victor Caruana Colombo and, when I appeared before it as a witness in 2000, the other member was the future bishop of Gozo, Mgr Mario Grech. Hardly the persons to cause embarrassment to the Church and its priests.
The results are sent to the archbishop who buries them in the Curia's secret archives. Usually if a priest is found guilty he may be given a transfer (like being sent to the missions). Occasionally he is defrocked in great secrecy. That's the way it has been. That's the way it will continue to be.