Breaking the silence

Bishops and religious superiors are back in the spotlight to reaffirm their commitment to justice, and their standing side-by-side with the victims of sexual abuse. An all-out commitment was conveyed in a press conference in Brussels. The 2012 Report prepared by the Inter-diocesan Commission for the protection of children and young people was presented on 15th May. It covers the work done on the 10 “points of contact” instituted by the Church a year ago across 8 dioceses in Belgium, one for French-speaking religious congregations and one for the Flemish. The report summarises the guidelines with the following words: “To shut one’s eyes and pretend that nothing serious has happened is to deny the injustice. The issue should be highlighted in its entirety. It is the only way to repair the injustice, prevent its recurrence and most of all, to transform ‘the injustices of the past’ into ‘rights for the future’.” Listening points. After the shock of the scandals, Belgium is now at the forefront of a “zero tolerance” policy. There are two possibilities for victims to report abuses: they can turn to an arbitration center established by a special parliamentary committee, or request a meeting at one of the 10 listening points set up by the Church in dioceses and religious congregations. The listening points – reads the report – ensure “accessibility, confidentiality and security”, since “it is not easy for victims to tell or recount what they have experienced.” Here the victims, their family members or witnesses to the events can also find initial reception, get advice and, if required, obtain psychological and legal assistance. Victims are always encouraged and assisted in reporting abuses to the police or to the relevant authorities. The data. A total of 872 complaints were submitted in 2012, of which 307 came from the listening points set up by the Church in the dioceses and religious congregations. 83% of the victims are over 40 years old today, and 76% of them are male. The Report shows however, that at the time the abuses were committed, 95% of the victims were under 18 years old, 25% being under 10 years of age. Perpetrators of the abuses were priests in 48% of cases, and religious figures in 31% of cases. About half of the events took place in schools (45%) and parishes (24%). The Report classifies the cases of abuse into 4 categories: indecent assault without violence or threat; indecent assault with violence and threats; violence on a minor with sexual penetration; same type of violence, but aggravated by special circumstances. Most of the abuses fall under the second category, but 5.3% of the abuses fall into category 4. It is worth noting, however, that 84% of the crimes reported took place in the years between 1950 and 1980, and only 16% took place in the last 30 years. This helps to explain the difficulties involved in reconstructing the facts. The report also takes stock on the financial compensation given to the victims and on the rate of referrals to the criminal justice system, although it appears that “financial compensation is not the main aspect of healing for the majority of victims.”The choice. “Breaking the Silence”: the Church of Belgium has chosen this line of conduct to help the victims. And while there is awareness that it is “impossible to erase the past,” bishops and religious superiors do still want to accept their “moral responsibility for the injustices committed in the past to children and young people in their pastoral function.” The Church has decided to side with the victims and to “break the silence”, as “it is unacceptable to keep quiet, because words can save. The magnitude of the problem lies not only in the abuse but in the fact that it had been kept hidden”, forcing abuse victims to live their plight in solitude.