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	Editorial: Honour Emma's Parents The Herald Sun January 13, 2008 http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23042668-24218,00.html EMMA Foster need not have died. If she had not been sexually abused by Catholic priest Kevin O'Donnell, she would most likely have been a happy, well-adjusted 26-year-old woman. She might have been married or have had children. But Emma died alone and in despair during the week, clutching her childhood teddy bear. Her story is sickening. She was a vulnerable child when first serially abused by the notorious child molester. It went on for five years. The pedophile priest set in chain a series of events that drove the emotionally-scarred Emma to her death by drug overdose. If any good has come out of this, it is the example of Emma's brave parents, who fought long and hard to find some justice for their daughter. They refused to be gagged by the Catholic Church, fighting publicly against a repressive and rigid hierarchy. They could have succumbed to the cult of silence that still surrounds the subject of pedophilia. But they refused to be bullied. In the end, they received one of the biggest payouts from the church in this country. Despite trauma and at the risk of public embarrassment and humiliation, Emma's deeply wounded family stood up for justice. And they should be praised for that. Irish philosopher Edmund Burke once said all that was needed for the forces of evil to succeed was for enough good men to remain silent. The Fosters, by refusing to be silenced, have become heroic voices in the wilderness for other victims of this wicked crime. The payout can never compensate for the pain caused by the pedophile priest who betrayed people who trusted him. This is a sad and difficult time for Emma's family. We can only hope that some healing comes from their hard-won battle - not only for them, but for other pedophile victims who hopefully will be less afraid to fight for justice.
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