By Nestor Laiviera
Malta Today
May 23, 2011
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/dominican-nun-questioned-by-police-as-mother-general-admits-it-s-top-secret
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| A Dominican nun is under investigation and has been interrogated by the police |
UPDATED | A Dominican nun from the infamous Lourdes Home has been questioned by police over claims of abuse on minors, but investigations are shrouded under a veil of Church-imposed secrecy.
A Dominican nun who works within the Lourdes residential home in Ghajnsielem, Gozo, has been questioned by investigators at the Police Vice Squad in connection to claims of child abuse.
Sources say that the nun is expected to be interrogated again in the coming hours as investigations contiue.
The arrest reportedly dates back to an alleged instance of child abuse that took place five years ago.
However, the case was kept tightly under wraps.
Informed sources have told MaltaToday that the Police Force has come under intense pressure by the Church to lock down information related to the case for fear of the negative publicity the Church stands to suffer in the run up to the divorce referendum.
Evidence of this has come out from replies MaltaToday has obtained from the Mother General of the Dominican Sisters of Malta Sr Carmelita Borg.
The Mother General refused to confirm or deny the nun’s arrest, but added: “Nobody is supposed to know. Its top secret!” she said, requesting that MaltaToday divulge its source. She refused to comment further, politely terminating the conversation.
It is understood that a female magistrate has been appointed to hear the testimony of the witness who was allegedly abused by the Dominican nun. The testimony was heard urgently as MaltaToday is informed that the witness would be departing the island very shortly.
The Lourdes care home in Ghajsielem is no stranger to abuse allegations.
In 1999, allegations of abuse were made public on a local TV programme prompting Bishop Emeritus Nikol Cauchi to set up a commission to investigate the claims. It drew up a report that concluded the claims were unfounded.
However a 2008 Bondi+ feature revealing ongoing and persistent abuse at that same Lourdes home prompted a second commission (the Colombo Commission) to conduct its own investigation into the abuse allegations.
During the programme about eight victims in their late 20s, mostly in their 30s, and 40s came forward to recount their traumatic experiences.
Set up by Mgr Grech to investigate allegations of physical and psychological abuse perpetrated on minors during their stay at Lourdes House, the Colombo Commission was chaired by Judge Victor Caruana Colombo, and including lawyer Ruth Farrugia, psychologist Angela Abela, and Mgr Fortunat Mizzi.
The report compiled by the Colombo commission found that from 1999 to 2006, no less than 85 cases of sexual abuse were investigated by the Curia’s Response Team. The findings were also passed to the archbishop for consideration and decision-making. The report was released 22 months behind schedule, on 4 April 2008.
Later on that month, reports surfaced that the sisters implicated in the report were expected to move out of the house on an immediate basis.
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