Sex abuse victim compensation discussed with Archbishop

Archbishop Paul Cremona and the legal representative of 11 victims of clerical sex abuse remained mum about the details of an hour-long meeting during which compensation was discussed.

Standing side by side after coming out of the meeting at the Curia in Floriana, Mgr Cremona and lawyer Patrick Valentino would not say whether specific amounts of money were discussed. They also refused to be drawn into saying whether the Missionary Society of St Paul – the order that runs St Joseph Home where the orphans were abused – was involved in the talks.

Curia lawyer Dominic Cassar also attended the meeting.

Mgr Cremona said both parties agreed to hold another meeting and continue discussing the matter. “We expressed our ideas... and, given the talks are ongoing, we decided not to speak about the matter in public.”

Dr Valentino backed up the Archbishop’s statement, insisting both parties were still talking. “We will speak and give details, I assume and hope, when agreement is finally reached.”

The meeting was held after Mgr Cremona met eight of the 11 abuse victims last week at his residence in Attard. Dr Valentino had requested an appointment to discuss compensation.

The victims have denied media reports that they asked for €10 million and Dr Valentino has gone on record saying the victims were seeking a holistic package that included the services of social workers and psychologists.

“These are broken people. Out of 11, only two or three are managing to overcome what happened even though it remains at the back of their minds.

“This is why there has to be a gesture from the Church,” Dr Valentino said.

The Vatican’s chief prosecutor in clerical abuse cases, Mgr Charles Scicluna is on record saying the victims deserved compensation.

“I have encouraged their lawyer, Patrick Valentino, to ask for damages in the civil courts. I think they have every right. But the Church in Malta should be proactive to help them psychologically and, if need be, financially,” Mgr Scicluna said.

He had also urged the Curia to set up a Victim Solidarity Fund that could go beyond the strict demands of damages granted by law, both civil and Canon law.

The Church yesterday republished a 2003 statement issued by then Archbishop Joseph Mercieca and the late Gozo Bishop Nikol Cauchi when the clerical sex abuse allegations had made it to court.

Mgr Mercieca has not spoken about the clerical abuse since the judgment against two priests (one of them since defrocked) was handed down earlier this month and attempts to contact him had proved futile.

Reacting to unspecified comments about the stand taken by Mgr Mercieca when the allegations had surfaced eight years ago, the Curia said it wanted to remind people of the statement issued at the time in which the Church had asked for forgiveness.

In the statement dated October 8, 2003, the bishops had said the Church strongly condemned any form of sexual abuse, particularly when it was committed on children.

The bishops had said sexual abuse caused a lot of hardship and harm to victims. In such cases, particularly when children were involved, the primary consideration was to help and protect the victims.

“At the same time, the Church also has the duty to point out that those committing the abuse remained humans with their right to dignity,” they had said.

The bishops had asked the victims for forgiveness for any hardship and harm they had suffered and said the Church did not want to hide cases of abuse that involved its members.

The Curia also published an extract from a homily Mgr Mercieca gave in November 2003 during the feast of Christ the King where he said that members of the Church who were involved in sexual abuse were responsible not only for the great harm caused to the victims but also for the harm they caused to the Church.