Vatican’s Probe of Fourth Priest Is Still ‘pending’, by Christian Peregin, Times of Malta, August 9, 2011

Vatican’s Probe of Fourth Priest Is Still ‘pending’

By Christian Peregin
Times of Malta
August 9, 2011

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110809/local/Vatican-s-probe-of-fourth-priest-is-still-pending-.379419

St Joseph Home in Sta Venera. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The Vatican is still reviewing the case against a fourth Maltese priest who was implicated in the scandal that has seen two priests being sentenced to prison last week for sexually abusing young boys in their care.

Fr Conrad Sciberras was implicated in the testimonies and reports submitted by some of the victims who used to live at St Joseph Home, Sta Venera, and grouped together to expose the abuse.

Fr Sciberras was never brought to justice because the allegations made against him were time-barred, according to the victims’ lawyer, Patrick Valentino. Fr Sciberras was not interrogated by the police either.

In the case of the other two priests – Charles Pulis, who has since been defrocked, and Fr Godwin Scerri – some of the claims were recent enough to tie all the allegations together.

There was a third cleric, Bro. Joseph Bonnet, from St Joseph Home, who faced court charges but died before the Vatican or the courts concluded their cases.

“The case against Fr Sciberras is still pending,” sources at the Vatican said yesterday, without giving any more details.

Fr Sciberras had been mentioned in a letter to the abuse victims by the Missionary Society of St Paul. The letter said the allegations were investigated and the Response Team established they were “founded”.

Like the other priests involved in the scandal, as a precautionary measure Fr Sciberras was immediately prevented from working with children as soon as the allegations surfaced.

Although he had been thought to have fled Malta not to face charges, his superior general, Fr Bernard Mangion, had explained last year he had been serving at Casa Generalizia, on the outskirts of Rome, since 1999, four years before the accusations first surfaced. Fr Mangion said Fr Sciberras denies the allegations.

But Lawrence Grech, one of the victims who reported abuse by Fr Sciberras, has challenged him to face his alleged victims. “He’s saying the allegations are untrue. We are ready to meet and challenge him.”

Mr Grech called for the Church to conclude its investigations for the victims to be able to get the closure they need.

Questions about Fr Sciberras’s case sent yesterday to the Vatican, the Church in Malta and the police remained unanswered. Efforts to contact Fr Mangion proved futile.