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	Church " Not Legally Responsible" for Clerical Sex Abuse The Di-Ve September 23, 2011 http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_D_abuselawsuit23.3a97e5b.html The Maltese Catholic church authorities announced that they are not legally responsible for the sexual abuse of boys in its care at the St Joseph's Home in Santa Venera, although it also stressed that it will nevertheless assist victims of clerical sex abuse. In a brief statement issued after a meeting involving Maltese bishops and the Conference of the Religious Major Superiors, the Curia said that it received legal advice that it is not legally responsible for what was perpetrated by individuals. However, it also announced that it will set up a structure to provide all the necessary psychiatric, psychological and social assistance to those who are proved to be the victims of clerical sex abuse. Fr Charles Pulis was jailed for 6 years and Fr Godwin Scerri was jailed for 5 years after they were found guilty of numerous counts of sexual abuse, though they are currently out on appeal. A third priest, Fr Joseph Bonnet, faced similar charges but died before the verdict was reached. Fr Scerri had been transferred to St Joseph's Home after arriving from Canada in the 1980s. In 1993, Canadian authorities formally charged him with sexually abusing minors when he was then, but Fr Scerri remained at the Santa Venera orphanage until 2003, when the abuse there was made public by a group of victims. Over the past few weeks, Archbishop Paul Cremona has been meeting the St Joseph's Home's victims' lawyer, Patrick Valentino, to discuss compensation. What was discussed has not been made public, although Dr Valentino is set to address the press next Saturday. Contact: editorial@di-ve.com
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