NZ links on Pope's child abuse group

NZ City
December 18, 2014

http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=198915&fm=newsmain%2Cnrhl

A New Zealander living in the United States and a Briton living in New Zealand are among the new faces appointed to the Vatican body advising Pope Francis on how to deal with the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal.

Boston-based Krysten Winter-Green and Auckland-based Bill Kilgallon have been named on the 17-member Commission for the Protection of Minors, which comprises members from both the clerical and lay world.

It is led by American cardinal Sean O'Malley and other new members come from Australia, Britain, Colombia, Philippines, South Africa and Zambia.

Dr Winter-Green has a post-graduate degrees in theology, human development, social work, religion and pastoral psychology.

She has served in dioceses around the world with homeless people and those living with AIDS. She has expertise in child abuse, including forensics, assessment and treatment of priest/clergy offenders.

Mr Kilgallon is former priest who moved from the UK to New Zealand about four years ago.

He heads the New Zealand Catholic Church's national office which handles complaints about abuse.

Britain's Peter Saunders is the second pedophile victim to be appointed to the commission after Marie Collins from Ireland.

The commission of experts will advise Pope Francis on how to deal with a sex abuse scandal which rocked the Catholic Church in the 2000s.

It is now "a wide representation of situations and cultures" and now includes child protection trainers, psychologists and specialists in human rights, the Vatican says.