Introduction

Home: Survivors: Clergy Abuse: Towards healing

As bishops and leaders of religious institutes of the Catholic Church in Australia, we acknowledge with deep sadness and regret that a number of clergy and religious have abused children, adolescents and adults who have been in their pastoral care. To these victims we offer our sincere apology.

In December 1996 we published a document, Towards Healing, setting out the principles that must form the basis of the Church's response to complaints of abuse and the procedures to be followed in responding to individual complaints. We stated that this document would be in force for only a limited time and was "intended as a means of seeking the comments of all interested persons in the community".

In accordance with this intention, Professor Patrick Parkinson, pro-Dean of the Faculty of Law at Sydney University and author of the book Child Sexual Abuse and the Churches, was asked to lead the process of revision of the document. This process included broad consultation with complainants, accused, church authorities, and the various persons who had a role in responding to complaints contact persons, assessors etc. Consideration of the requirements of Canon Law was also part of the revision, so that decisions made through Towards Healing could be securely implemented.

As a result of the experience of the last four years and the feedback provided during the consultation, a number of changes have been made. The major change in the principles is the extension of abuse to include sexual, physical and emotional abuse, formalising a change that had already been accepted as experience unfolded. The more numerous changes to the procedures aim to clarify the steps to be taken and provide a document that is clear and able to be applied to the many and varied matters that can be brought forward. The goal of moving "towards healing" remains paramount.

Like the earlier document, this document establishes public criteria according to which the community may judge the resolve of Church leaders to address issues of abuse within the Church. If we do not follow the principles and procedures of this document, we will have failed according to our own criteria.

We express our gratitude to Professor Patrick Parkinson and to all who contributed to the process of revision. (1)

(1) The Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Society of Jesus have in place sets of procedures that are of similar intention to those set out in Part 2 of this document. Both sets of procedures are designed to meet the principles of Part 1. Accordingly it is acknowledged that the procedures of Part 2 do not apply to the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Society of Jesus.

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