Supporting survivors
The Catholic Church of St Joseph in the small township of Bass is a long way from St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney. A quiet, respectful, and safe protest at the Catholic Church’s lack of appropriate response to sexual abuse was held to coincide with...
The Catholic Church of St Joseph in the small township of Bass is a long way from St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney.
A quiet, respectful, and safe protest at the Catholic Church’s lack of appropriate response to sexual abuse was held to coincide with Cardinal Pell’s funeral in Sydney.
A number of coloured ribbons were attached to the railing outside St Joseph’s front door.
Each ribbon indicates support for the victims of sexual predator priests and brothers in parishes, schools and institutions over a great number of years.
Victoria did not escape the problem, and a number of abuses sadly took place in Gippsland churches and schools.
Many of these have either gone through the courts or are currently in progress.
Survivors’ stories were shared with the Victorian Enquiry, a predecessor to the `Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and many of these described the terror and life-changing effects of sexual abuse.
Particularly by those whose mandate is to at the very least care for the spiritual needs of followers.
Failures to report abuse to authorities, and in doing so enable further abuse, and perpetrators not being brought to justice.
Most survivors do not report and do not tell their stories for fear of being shamed even among their families.
It is acknowledged worldwide, the pivotal role Ballarat played in child abuse, even to the extent of calling Ballarat ‘Abuse Ground Zero’.
Not something that a beautiful city would appreciate.
The Royal Commission went a long way to support the plight of Australian survivors and bring sexual abuse to the public arena.
Let’s hope the benefits brought by the Commission continues, and the lives of those struggling to even just live normally will be better off.
If anyone is triggered by this article or by the news coverage of the funeral in Sydney, contact Beyond Blue or another appropriate body.
If anyone wishes to share their story there are ways and means of doing so.
www.snapnetwork.org/australia
www.facebook.com/groups/snapaustralia
For support, visit Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au 1300 224 636 or Lifeline Australia https://www.lifeline.org.au 131 114
Donald McLeish, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) leader