[WATCH] Church says State should set up national authority for minors

'State should set up national authority for minors'

The Church’s safeguarding commission said a national authority to protect minors and vulnerable adults should be created to carry out a review of the sex offenders’ register and to serve as an information exchange node between NGOs.

The commission said that the authority should have a designated person that is “responsible for the safeguarding of vulnerable persons,” and they stressed that it should be independent of any other agencies to avoid conflicts of interest.

Speaking at a press conference, head of the Safeguarding Commission, Andrew Azzopardi said that the commission, set up in 2015, had received 27 complaints for minors and 14 complaints for vulnerable adults, between February and December 2015.

The commission was set up in 2015 by Archbishop Charles Scicluna to replace the Church’s response team that previously dealt with clerical sex abuse cases.

“The role of the commission is however to receive and analyse complaints of various forms of abuse, not just sexual abuse,” he said, adding that complaints of sexual abuse still formed the majority of the complaints received during the first year.

“We hope that in the future, more people will approach us as they get the message that we are also open to complaints about physical, emotional abuse and neglect,” he said.

“Accordingly the commission recommended that the necessary steps be taken,” Azzopardi said, referring to the substantiated cases in their concluded assessments.

“The other concluded cases were either not proven or the allegations were false or were malicious in intent or did not involve minors.”

According to the report presented to the media, only one of the 27 complaints involving minors was substantiated, with 18 cases remaining unsubstantiated and three being proved false, as well as another being considered as having malicious intent. Statistics also show that one diocesan priest had their pastoral activity restricted as a result of the assessment.

Azzopardi explained that in the case of minors, all cases are also referred to the criminal court, with one case in fact still being open at court. He added that the suspension of pastoral activity did not necessarily mean that the individuals in question are defrocked, and that the commission could only make recommendations to the Vatican, which made the final decision in these cases. Furthermore, Azzopardi added that the complaints were also received against lay persons.

He further pointed out that in September, the Vatican had decided to publish the names of priests in the case of them being defrocked as a result of sexual abuse on minors.

70% of cases involving vulnerable adults who filed complaints were concluded in less than six months. Of these 14 complaints, the allegations concerning three cases were substantiated and the Commission advised a course of action. In one case undergoing an assessment, the person concerned had their pastoral activity restricted.

Of the concluded cases, three were substantiated, two were unsubstantiated, and one was certified false, while four others were referred to a third party.

Azzopardi explained that in the case of vulnerable adults, three individuals, including one lay person had seen restrictions in their pastoral activity.

He further explained that in the cases that were ultimately proved to be malicious intent against the accused, the commission had no power to press charges against the accusers or pursue the case, but that any such legal action was ultimately up to those being accused.

Azzopardi further explained that the commission’s job was ultimately not one of judgement, but of offering protection and safeguarding those in need.

“The commission can only assess the situation and make the recommendations based on whether the cases are substantiated or not, but the final decision for a course of action, is taken by the Bishop or Pastoral,” he said.

Azzopardi went on to explain that the commission had made prevention its priority, and that it would continue to emphasize this role in the future.

“The Commission has trained 700 people active in Church structures, such as priests, male and female members of religious orders, seminarians, teachers, catechists, and volunteers. The training focuses on the prevention of abuse and on how a culture centred on the best interest of children and vulnerable adults can flourish in the church’s mission,” Azzopardi said, adding that the church was launching a pilot project to that end in the coming months.

The pilot project will include St. Julian’s, Marsaxlokk and Iklin Parishes, the Jean Antide Foundation, the MUSEUM female section and the Zghazagh Azzjni Kattolika.

The commission has also recommended that information should be shared in a police conduct certificate when applying for a role with children or vulnerable adults, frequently throughout a person’s role at an organisation or place of employment.