NEW ZEALAND
RNZ via New Zealand Herald
January 23, 2021
By Andrew McRae
A survivor group for people abused while in the care of the Catholic Church says only a fraction of them are coming forward.
A number have spoken with the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care, but it is being seen as only the tip of the iceberg.
Dr Christopher Longhurst of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) said many people are reluctant to come forward for fear of ridicule.
“There is so much shame around the abuse that society sees the victim as wounded and defective and there is victim blaming.”
Longhurst said there is dignity in surviving abuse and it is nothing for the victim to be ashamed of.
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