Confronting DVD shown this weekend

AUSTRALIA
Maitland Mercury

A DVD about the impact of child ­sexual abuse will be shown in Morpeth this weekend with additional screenings planned for the Coalfields region.

The DVD – Breaking the Silence: The Impact of Sexual Abuse by Church Personnel – presents the testimony of two Maitland residents Patricia Feenan and Bob O’Toole, in a confronting and unflinchingly honest account of their experiences.

The DVD was produced by Insights – an arm of Zimmerman Services in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle that was established in 2009 to explore the ongoing consequences of historic child sexual abuse in the diocese.

Ms Feenan is the mother of Daniel Feenan, a victim of deceased priest James Fletcher, while Morpeth man Bob O’Toole was sexually abused by a Marist Brother while at school. They represent many more Hunter residents who are not yet able to tell their stories.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.