AUSTRALIA
The Australian
PIA AKERMAN THE AUSTRALIAN OCTOBER 04, 2013
PROPOSED reform of the Catholic Church’s Towards Healing process for dealing with sexual abuse claims has been rejected by victims’ advocates, who have called for the in-house system to be dumped immediately.
In its submission to the royal commission investigating institutional responses to child sexual abuse, released this week, the church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council foreshadowed changes including the appointment of independent commissioners who would determine payments to victims.
Broken Rites spokesman Wayne Chamley yesterday said the measures were inadequate and the church should instead dump Towards Healing and take legal steps to enable victims to successfully sue for compensation.
“They have had plenty of opportunity to get it right and it has never been right,” Dr Chamley said. “The church has got to vacate the field. If they are genuine they will repeal all the obstacles that currently exist for people going to civil law.”
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