Gozo nun probed on abuse claims

A Dominican nun has been questioned by the police over allegations that she abused a boy in care at Lourdes Home in Gozo.

The nun, who lives at the Dominican Order’s Pompeii House in Victoria, was interviewed by the vice squad onFriday in relation to abuse allegations that date back around five years.

Police sources confirmed that the nun was released but investigations are ongoing. The complainant is believed to still be a minor, though it is not clear what type of abuse is being alleged.

Sources who spoke to The Sunday Times said the police case appears to be “shrouded in secrecy”.

When contacted yesterday, a nun at the order’s main convent in Rabat said that Mother General Carmelita Borg was not available for comment.

“Do not phone about the case because you will not receive any replies,” said the nun, who would not reveal her name.

She insisted the newspaper should not ask any questions when asked whether the investigated nun was still in Gozo. “We will not comment,” she said.

Gozo Bishop Mario Grech said he was not aware of the police investigation when contacted yesterday.

Lourdes Home, which served as an orphanage, was closed down in 2008 after a commission set up by Mgr Grech two years earlier to investigate allegations of ill-treatment of children by the nuns found instances of physical and psychological abuse of minors.

The report had identified two nuns, Sr Dorothy Mizzi and Sr Josephine Anne Sultana, as perpetrators of the abuse. Sr Mizzi is Vicar General of the congregation.

The commission was chaired by Judge Victor Caruana Colombo and included lawyer Ruth Farrugia, psychologist Angela Abela, and Mgr Fortunat Mizzi.

The recommendations of the commission were not published but Mgr Grech had instructed the Superior General of the Dominican Sisters to implement the proposals.

At the time sources had told The Times that the recommendations were grounded on the premise that whoever was found guilty of abusing a person, particularly a child, would be prohibited from working in this sphere.

Mgr Grech had also asked for forgiveness from those who were abused as children while residing at the home. When allegations related to treatment of children at the home first surfaced in 1999, the diocese had set up a commission, which had drawn up a report that concluded those claims were unfounded.

The Gozo diocese set up the second commission in 2006 after allegations were aired on the television programme Bondiplus, where eight alleged victims – who were in their late 20s, mostly in their 30s, and 40s – had come forward to recount their experience.

During the programme, one man had recounted how he was force-fed and when he was sick was forced to re-ingest his vomit. Another man said a hot iron was placed on his hand by a nun while a woman spoke about how shewas dragged by the hair along the corridor.

The nuns had also refused to comment at the time.