Abuse victims call off protest

Malta Independent
24 September 2011
Chiara Bonello

A protest by the victims of sexual abuse by priests due to be held this morning was called off yesterday, on the advice of the victims’ lawyer, Patrick Valentino, victims’ spokesman Lawrence Grech told The Malta Independent.

The protest was to be held after the Curia announced on Thursday that there would be no financial compensation for what the victims had suffered.

The news of the protest came after a Church statement that the Church had been advised legally that as an institution it does not have any legal responsibility for the cases (of abuse) perpetrated by “some individuals”.

The Church also said it would be offering psychiatric, psychological and other help by social professionals. Mr Grech said that initially all the victims intended to participate in the protest, and invite the public to support them.

The email said that the victims were extremely disappointed at the turn that things had taken, and were therefore inviting people to join them in a protest this morning.

However on Dr Valentino’s advice they had decided to cancel the protest at this ‘critical’ time, as it is not the right time for something of the sort, Mr Grech explained.

The protest would have coincided with a news conference to be held this morning, during which the victims’ lawyers will speak to the media about the meetings they have held with the Church representatives and the final decision.

Lou Bondi, who has been the victims’ spokesman, promptly sent an email to the same recipients disassociating himself from the victims’ email announcing the protest, which he said he knew nothing about.

The news conference comes after a number of meetings held between Dr Valentino and the Curia’s lawyers, during which both sides had their say, but had so far failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

The most recent meeting held earlier on this month was described as ‘disappointing’, but Mr Grech had not ruled out the possibility that things may change.

Archbishop Paul Cremona, speaking after the meeting, told the media that the meeting had given both sides the opportunity to clarify their positions. He also said that the next meeting, to be held a week later, would be the final one.

The protest will not be held, but the news conference during which Dr Valentino will speak to the press about the state of things and what happens next will go ahead as planned.

Update 2 - Abuse victims protest outside the Curia
Legal adviser 'disappointed, surprised and disgusted' by Church statement

Times of Malta
24-9-2011

A small number of victims of clerical sex abuse and their friends held a silent protest outside the Curia this morning to protest over a Church statement saying it bore no legal responsibility for the actions of two priests convicted of abuse.

The men formed a line outside the Curia's main door, carrying posters and placards criticising the Church.

The protest was held before a press conference held there later by the legal adviser of the victims, Dr Patrick Valentino.

The Church said on Thursday that it had legal advice that as an institution, it bore no legal responsibility for the abuse cases. It said, however, that it is setting up a structure to provide psychiatric, psychological and social help to any individuals who proved to be victims of its pastoral functionaries, “as part of her pastoral and spiritual ministry”.

The posters were taken down when Dr Valentino arrived for the press conference.

In his press conference Dr Valentino said the victims will proceed with a civil court case against the Church, the MSSP (which ran the Home where the abuses took place) and the abusers personally, requesting monetary compensation.

Dr Valentino said he was 'disappointed, surprised and disgusted' by the Church's statement, for various reasons.

For one thing, he said, the statement still spoke of 'alleged' abuses when there had been convictions. Secondly it focused on legal arguments instead of the moral responsibility which the Church should shoulder since the children were under its care.

The legal arguments being made by the church, he said, stemmed from the fact that several cases were time barred.

Dr Valentino said the victims were scarred for life and their suffering was not time-barred. Some of them could not work or have normal family life and in today's world only financial compensation could bring a turnaround to their lives and balance out the damage they had suffered.

He noted that the Church in its original reaction to the court case had apologised and asked for forgiveness. Now it had said it would also set up a structure of social workers and other professionals to help the victims. In this way, the Church appeared to be acknowledging responsibility, Dr Valentino said, but at the same time it was using legal arguments to say it did not have to give financial compensation.

He pointed out that abroad, in almost identical cases, the Church had awarded financial compensation, mostly in out-of-court settlements.

Dr Valentino said that the victims wanted this chapter to be closed as quickly as possible and he regretted that they would need to go to the courts again.

3x Update (26-9)

Eenmaal

Times of Malta

September 25, 2011,

Christian Peregin

‘Disgusted’ clerical abuse victims demand compensation

‘Effects are not time-barred’

A group of clerical child abuse victims could only get a fair shot at life and start afresh if they received financial compensation, their lawyer Patrick Valentino insisted yesterday.

These victims were placed in the Church’s care for character formation, but instead they were scarred for life

“I know it may look bad, but only a financial sum can really change their lives and start to balance things out after all the suffering they have endured,” he said.

However, he would not state what sum the victims are seeking, saying only that figures were never discussed and the men had agreed to build on any offer made by the Church.

He said the victims were expecting compensation in light of several meetings between the Curia and the men’s lawyer, where “nothing was ruled out”.

Dr Valentino said that since the Church had refused to offer compensation, the victims had no choice but to institute legal proceedings against the Church, the Missionary Society of St Paul and the two priests convicted of abuse.

Addressing a press conference outside the Curia in Floriana yesterday morning, Dr Valentino said the victims were “disappointed, surprised and disgusted” by the stand taken by the Church last week, claiming it hid behind legal arguments and ignored the moral issue at stake.

“These victims were placed in the Church’s care for character formation, but instead they were scarred for life,” he said.

When the Church first reacted to the sentencing of the two priest-abusers Charles Pulis (now sacked from the clerical state) and Fr Godwin Scerri, it acknowledged responsibility and asked the victims and Maltese society for forgiveness.

In a press release issued last month, the Church had also apologised because its investigation had taken several years.

However, last Thursday the Church said that after consulting lawyers it could not accept legal responsibility for the abuse though it was prepared to offer victims help in the form of psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists.

Dr Valentino said it was contradictory for the Church to ask for forgiveness, offer psychological help, but then say it is not legally obliged to pay compensation. The abusers, he said, took a vow of poverty and could therefore not provide compensation themselves.

Dr Valentino was also critical that the Church was once again referring to “alleged” abuse, despite the convictions and defrocking of one of the priests involved.

Dr Valentino said that while the victims wanted closure, the Church’s refusal to offer compensation meant the issue would have to be reopened in court.

The Church, he said, was likely to argue that many of the incidents were time-barred but this argument holds no water for the victims, who were abused as teenagers.

He said some had been certified as unable to work, while others could not enjoy their family life and had never washed their kids for fear that they might abuse them. “These things are not time-barred,” he said.

Dr Valentino said that in several almost identical cases, the Church in other counties reached out-of-court settlements because they acknowledged their moral responsibility towards the victims.

Archbishop Paul Cremona declined to comment on the case yesterday. Approached following a Caritas seminar, his spokesman swiftly intervened and said there was “nothing to add” to the statements issued. Any questions, he said, could be sent by e-mail. Before yesterday’s morning’s news conference, some of the victims appeared in front of the Curia carrying posters criticising the Church. When Dr Valentino arrived for the news conference, he told the victims to remove the posters and asked the press not to publish photos of the protest.

The abuse took place at the St Joseph’s Home in Sta Venera when the 11 victims, now adults, were teenagers.

The two convicted priests, sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment and currently on bail, are appealing against the court decision.

Update

Andermaal

Bondi' explains disagreements with victims of clerical abuse

26-9-2011
Times of Malta

Updated - Broadcaster Lou Bondi this afternoon revealed disagreements with the victims of clerical abuse, which culminated when they made comments to the press late last week despite an agreement that comments would only be made by legal adviser Patrick Valentino.
Mr Bondi stepped down from his role as adviser to the victims three days ago and revealed the decision in his blog yesterday.
He denied that he had stepped down because of a planned meeting between the victims and Joseph Muscat.

The victims, he said, had proposed more than a year ago that they should have meetings with Lawrence Gonzi and Joseph Muscat, but he advised against, insisting that this was not a political matter. At the time he warned that should any such meeting be held with any politician, he would step down.
“But the first time I learnt they had met Joseph Muscat was today,” he said. “They acted behind my back, which proves how correct I was to step aside.”

Mr Bondi said that at a meeting last Thursday between the victims, their lawyer and himself, it was decided that since this was a legal issue, comments to the press would only be made by the lawyer, Patrick Valentino.“No sooner had the meeting finished that Lawrence Grech gave comments to the press,” Mr Bondi complained.

Then on Saturday some of the victims turned up before a press conference with posters criticising the Church and the Archbishop. The press conference was meant to have been addressed only by Mr Valentino.
I am truly sorry that it has come to this, Mr Bondi’ said.

In his blog yesterday, Mr Bondi' said he had been helping the victims of sexual abuse at St Joseph Home for eight years.
He said he had sent an email to Dr Valentino and two of the victims, Lawrence Grech and Joseph Magro, telling them he was stepping down.

In his email, Mr Bondi said he had reflected on whether he should continue to be involved, now that the case had been decided in court. He decided to step down because his purpose of seeing justice be done had been achieved.

He said the legal efforts for the victims to be given financial compensation were worthy and he hoped that they would succeed. However, this was not part of what he had worked for with the victims and therefore, he did not see himself as having a role in it.

Mr Bondi said he absolutely disagreed with actions and declarations made against the Church and Archbishop Paul Cremona in recent days. He had made his position clear early on, but his advice was ignored.

He augured that the victims would close this chapter of their lives successfully.

Lawrence Grech, a spokesman for the victims, said when contacted that Mr Bondi had set conditions to suit his agenda instead of helping then unconditionally.