Sexual Abuse
Tuesday, 9th July 2019
For over nineteen years I have struggled in reporting the attempted rape by a Salesian priest that I suffered in Sicily in the year 2000.
You might presume that having been a member of the Salesian Sisters Religious Order for thirty-three years, that I would quickly succeed in reporting this.
Quite the contrary! Not until the 19th June this year 2019 was I finally interviewed by, hopefully, two qualified Safeguarding persons.
Hopefully, because over this long period of time the following are among those I have contacted:
Cardinal Murphy O’Connor
Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Bishop Kieran Conry Bishop of Arundel and Brighton
Shirley Hosgood Child Protection Officer for Arundel and Brighton
Rector Major of the Salesians Fr Luc Van Looy
Fr Francis Preston Salesian Provincial
Fr Michael Winstanly Salesian Provincial
Fr Gerry Briody Salesian Provincial
Fr Mwevyn Williams Salesian dealing with Safeguarding for the English Province
Fr Tom Williams www.bootlecatholic.co.uk Liverpool
Fr Michael Coyle Salesian Provincial
MACSAS Minister and Clergy Sexual Assault survivors
Fr Jeremy Trood Espiscopal Vicar for Safeguarding Westminster Cathedral
Rev James Curry Private Secretary Westminster Cathedral
Sr Frances Wheeler 8 Deans Close Cavendish Square Westminster
COPCA
Royal Surrey Hospital NHS Catherine Hobbins Voluntary Services
Maralyn Sage Primary Care Psychology and Counselling
Sr Georgina McPake Salesian Sisters Provincial 23/09/03 now RIP
Julie Courtney. Miriam Monks and Julie Millie
Vatican City Sr Nicoletta reply on behalf of Congregation of Apostolate
Pope Francis x 3
I have been interviewed in Westminster Cathedral, The Quaker Friends House Euston and by the police in my own home. However, I was not informed that there is an official premises until I was interview at:
The Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service
39 Eccleston Square
London
SW1V 1BX
If you search their website you will find:
The Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service (CSAS) primary role is one of co-ordination, advice and support in respect of the wider job of safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. CSAS reports to the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission. The Commission was set up in 2008 following the acceptance, by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and the Conference of Religious of England and Wales (CoR), of the recommendations in the 2007 Cumberlege Commission Report “Safeguarding with Confidence”
Safeguarding If only that were true!
Why was I not directed here before?
Will anything come of it?
When I searched Google to check whether Don Mario di Marco, the priest who abused me, was listed, I was sickened by the number of priest abusers named. I concluded that…
Mine was but the tip of a very solid and deep iceberg.
Thank goodness I have good, caring and wise friends who have given me sound advice:
1 If you continue to bang your head against the wall that is the Catholic Church, the wall will survive while your head will become battered and bruised.
2 Your health is your greatest treasure. Anger may have lead to the cancer that you suffered.
3 Few people are capable of really understanding how much the detrimental abuse that you underwent has affected your life.
I have therefore concluded that in my own interest and anxious to draw attention to sexual abuse of minors, I have fulfilled by duty. My life is precious. I will endeavour to live a fulfilled, peaceful life.