Clerical sex abuse victims tell court of meagre assistance from Curia

A handful of meetings with a psychologist, psychiatrist and social worker was the sum total of the assistance given by the Curia to victims of clerical sex abuse, a court has heard.

Judge Mark Chetcuti began hearing testimony by the plaintiffs in the Constitutional case filed by eleven victims of clerical sex abuse this May, after Judge Joseph R. Micallef, who also occupies the role of president of the Malta Radio Maria Association, had turned down their request that he abstain from deciding the claim.

Lawyer Franco Vassallo submitted a Radju Marija newsletter reporting on a talk which Judge Micallef had delivered to its supporters, in support of the allegation of bias.

Vassallo told the court that Micallef was far too close to the institution that had abused his client.

Pressing the point of the impact the abuse has had on the victims, Vassallo told the court that some of the victims had suffered such severe psychological damage, that he would not be summoning them to testify, as this risked causing further harm.

One victim who did testify was Lawrence Grech, who told the court how he was brought up at St Joseph Home.

“We were brought up by an institution run by the church. They were our parents,” said Grech. He told the court that the victims had approached the church response team, after which he had spoken to the superior at St. Joseph.

“Archbishop Charles Scicluna [then lead investigator in the Church’s probe into the abuse cases] had phoned me on my mobile,” recalled Grech. “He told me not to worry, that he was ready to help me and advised us to seek compensation from the church. He also apologized on behalf of the church.”

The victims had met with the archbishop of the time, Paul Cremona and pro-vicar Anton Gouder, who had apologised on behalf of the church.

Grech was unimpressed with the outcome of his meeting with the Pope. “A lot of emotions and theatrics” was how he described the meeting, claiming that nothing changed afterwards.

The Curia’s investigation was concluded and sent to the Vatican within two weeks of Scicluna’s taking over. Scicluna had offered to help, and Grech said that after Scicluna’s appointment as Archbishop, he had challenged him on live TV to make good his offer. “We heard nothing since,” he said.

The sum total of the help he had received from the Curia after the abuse was a one-hour visit to a psychiatrist. 

“I had gone to Radio Marija knocking on the door asking for the help which we had been promised...the psychiatrist spoke to me for an hour. That was the help I received,” claimed Grech, although he later added that it had also arranged for him to meet with a psychologist and social worker.

Another abuse victim, Philip Cauchi, testified that he had been listening to Radju Maria, when he heard Fr Anton Gouder claim that abused children were being helped.

“I phoned the programme live on air and identified myself. I asked him how he was helping us because nobody from the church had contacted us. Gouder said the church had made an offer to help. I went to the Curia the day after and met him. He gave me an appointment with the psychological assistance team...” said the witness, trailing off before breaking down in tears.

“I did not want to file criminal charges. They had done me both good and harm and thought I could seek help from the church.” He had met the team again, three months later, and on the third meeting, he was given medication. “I showed the prescription to my doctor and he advised me not to take them.”

“I don’t know Judge Micallef. How can he help me if he is involved with the church? Who decided that our case be heard by the president of Radju Maria?” asked Cauchi.

Radju Maria founder and director Fr. Charles Fenech had also been summoned to testify regarding the connection between the radio station and Judge Micallef this morning, but the Dominican priest did not turn up.

The court declared Fenech in contempt of court, fined him €150 and ordered he be escorted to the next sitting, on the 24 September.