Wagga Bishop Believes Clergy Abuse

ABC News
October 16, 2012

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-16/wagga-bishop-believes-victimi-of-clergy-abuse/4315704?§ion=news

The Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Wagga Wagga, Gerard Hanna says he believes a local woman who alleges she was abused by a priest in Italy in the 1970's.

Anna Pratelli from Wagga Wagga went public last week, alleging she was abused as a teenager by a Salesian priest in Sicily who is now dead.

Ms Pratelli has refused an offer of $20,000 from the Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga to fund a return to Italy, citing concern about wording in the deed of offer that the order of assistance came from the Vatican.

Bishop Hanna says the Diocese has provided Ms Pratelli with pastoral care for more than two years.

He says the money is only part of that ongoing care as he saw a need for Ms Pratteli to reconcile with her family, particularly her mother and meet with Italian church officials.

The senior clergyman says he believes Ms Pratelli's claim of clergy abuse.

"I was motivated to move in the way I moved because I believe at the heart of her story there is a core of truth," he said.

Bishop Hanna says the monetary decision was his alone, not an order from the Vatican.

"Their only directive to me was to ensure she has sufficient pastoral support and to look after her pastorally. The initiative to send her home, to offer her financial support was mine entirely. I was under no directive to do that," he said.

Bishop Hanna says it was clear to him that Ms Pratelli needed to return to Italy to be reconciled with her family.

"Anna has acknowledged that she has needs, she's acknowledged that she has issues out of her past related to the church and that she expects the church to support her. And and I have tried to do that."

Chris MacIsaac from the victim support group Broken Rites has expressed compassion for Ms Pratelli.

"These situations are so tragic and you drop a pebble in a pond and out go the ripples and that is exactly what happened. And even the girl's relationship with her mother, that is a tragedy too. And I think the church has to face the reality," she said.

Ms MacIsaac has urged other victims of clergy abuse to speak out publicly.

"It's been the strength and the courage of the victims that we have now in excess of 150 brothers and priests throughout Australia convicted, these have been convicted in the court or pleaded guilty and had to face the reality of that. And they've been sentenced. And that's the tip of the iceberg. There must be so many that have abused like this and victims haven't come forward."

Ms MacIsaac says Ms Pratelli's case is difficult because it happened in Italy.

"Over there, I don't know the law over there but I think they're a long way behind where we are here," she said.