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	Church Response Praised; Action Taken to Prevent Future Abuse By Ellwood Shreve Chatham Daily News [Canada] May 31, 2007 http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?content id=551437&catname=Local+News&classif= Crown Attorney Paul Bailey is praising the Diocese of London for taking substantial steps towards preventing clergy from sexually abusing children. Bailey is crediting the church for its efforts to include measures in its new sexual abuse policy which have been recommended by the From Isolation to Action (FITA) committee. The committee includes women who were indecently assaulted by the late Father Charles Sylvestre, many of whom were from Chatham and Pain Court. Also included in the committee are Bailey and church members, including Bishop Ronald Fabbro and Vicar General Father John Sharp. Bailey shared a letter with The Chatham Daily News Wednesday written by Sharp to the survivors, outlining some of the measures the diocese plans to include in its sexual abuse policy. One is not having a priest as the first contact for a sexual abuse complaint within the church. Instead, designated trained people, including some who are identified as victims, will receive the initial complaint. Another FITA suggestion being adopted includes the Two Deep Rule, which requires two responsible adults to be present whenever there is interaction with a child. Bailey credits the partnership that's developed between the church and the FITA committee for the progress that is taking place. "This is a real step forward, it's a positive thing," he said. "I just feel very, very enthused about it, because I think this partnering of the survivors, the church, the government and others, is producing real results which will, in the end, prevent pedophiles from inveigling their way into a system and victimizing children." Sylvestre pleaded guilty in October 2006 to indecently assaulting 47 young girls over more than a 30-year period beginning in the mid-1950s, while serving at parishes in Chatham, Pain Court, Sarnia and London. The 84-year-old retired priest received a three-year prison sentence, but died in January. Neither Sharp nor Bishop Fabbro were available for comment when The Daily News called the London diocese. However, a diocese official indicated Sharp is nearly finished another letter that will address a petition sent by FITA members outlining specific measures for the church to take. When asked if he is surprised by the rate of progress being made by the church, Bailey said this has been characterized to him before as "the struggle between the immovable object and the irresistible force. "The immovable object being the church, which makes change very slowly, and the irresistible force, which is this powerful advocacy group comprised of victims who have suffered horribly." Sharp states in his letter to the survivors: "Your feedback has helped us (sexual abuse committee) to broaden our scope in developing a policy as well as identify our responsibility to educate our priests, monitor implementation, to respond to complaints in a timely manner and partnership with others in preventing sexual misconduct in the church. For this, I thank you." Bailey gives credit to Fabbro for "driving this from the top of the Diocese of London. "I believe (Fabbro) when he says he is dedicating himself to preventing this from ever happening again." Bailey doesn't believe public pressure has prompted the church to take action. "Some people have said to me, 'Whenever the church appears to co-operate, it's just a disingenuous media ploy.' "I do not believe that," he said. "I have sat face-to-face with Bishop Fabbro. I have seen on him, the pain that's transferred to him meeting the victims."
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