Victims of Priest Abuse 'Invited to Go for Help'

By Juan Ameen
Times of Malta
April 10, 2013

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130410/local/Victims-of-priest-abuse-invited-to-go-for-help-.464982

The Curia has denied a claim that it abandoned 11 victims of priest abuse, saying they had been contacted by the Missionary Society of St Paul and invited to approach it for help.

Once a case is concluded, the competent Church authorities inform the victim to approach the therapeutic board

The MSSP, under whose care the men lived at St Joseph’s Home in Santa Venera about 20 years ago, contacted the victims in writing in October 2011, a spokesman for the Curia said.

This was immediately after the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith published its decision about their cases.

“In fact, a number of those involved approached the society and are still receiving help,” the spokesman added.

Lawrence Grech, one of the victims, had told The Times he had expected to be approached by the Therapeutic Evaluation Board, which was set up by the Church last October and tasked with directing victims of clerical sexual abuse to therapy. None of the 11 men had been approached, he claimed.

The spokesman said that the Church had “more than once” publicly invited past victims to come forward.

“The procedure is that once a case is concluded, the competent Church authorities inform the victim to approach the therapeutic board.”

The board is made up of a psychologist, psychiatrist and social worker. Its aim is to determine the therapy needed by the victims and refer them accordingly.

The bill for the services would be footed by the relevant ecclesiastical authority.

In 2011, Godwin Scerri, 75, and Charles Pulis, 64, both former members of the MSSP, were jailed for sexually abusing 11 boys in their care at Santa Venera many years earlier.

Last December, a month after the original court decision was confirmed, the victims filed an official letter demanding compensation from the Church authorities.