Seven years ago very ten brave men reached a bold decision to try to bring those who had abused them justice, to face the full brunt of the law, and they are still waiting for justice to be meted out to those responsible.

The decision was a life-changing one, and not just with respect to their own lives but, following a new change of tack by the Vatican when it comes to abuse cases, also for the lives of countless other victims.

By now, almost the whole of Malta and indeed much of the world is well versed with their story and what drove them to take the decision that they did.

That decision did not come easily though. It was only many years after they left the orphanage at which they were abused by four members of the clergy, with the bitter memories of the abuse they suffered buried deep in the recesses of their memories, that they decided to come forward, to stand up and be counted and to fight to ensure that justice, not only in their respect but also in respect of others who have chosen to remain silent about their ordeals, would be served.

But even then they were not completely convinced of their course of action, until they heard personally from an orphan who was at the time still residing at the ill-fated home and who was still suffering the same abuse at the hands of one the same individuals – that was the final straw that spurred them into action.

While the reporting of court hearings over these last seven years has been banned by the court, proceedings, they say, would be farcical if the subject matter were not so serious. The case has so far been dragging on with little progress, with the defence being assisted by the country’s best criminal lawyers. It is doubtful the priests themselves are footing their own legal bills.

It started some weeks ago when Lawrence Grech wrote to the Vatican requesting a formal apology from the Pope when he visits Malta, and then went to a leading Italian newspaper with his tale of seemingly endless court proceedings.

When this editorialist recently interviewed three of the abuse victims, it was a long meeting interspersed with tears, anger and even indignation. These three individuals have overcome a seemingly insurmountable challenging of somehow coming to grips with what happened to them.

They have done what very few have been able to muster the courage to do, mainly out of compassion for others who they suspect could still be enduring abuse at the hands of the very same, and priests.

Despite what certain sections of the media have reported, they are not after financial gain.

What they want is justice to be done, for the priests responsible to be kept away from other boys and, most of all from their perspective, what they are looking for is closure after a lifetime of suffering that is still continuing. They are also hoping that, through their actions, others will be encouraged to come forward with their own experiences and seek peace and closure for themselves as well.

Closure and to help others in similar plights is what they are looking for.

Some two decades since leaving the St Joseph orphanage in Sta Venera, their eyes still show the very real pain that resurfaces each time they think back to the abuse they endured in those dark days.

Since meeting the Maltese abuse victims, Pope Benedict XVI has changed his tone, recounting his tearful meeting with the Maltese abuse victims, a meeting that appears to have shaken the pontiff and by default the Vatican into concrete action.

Since that highly emotional meeting, in which the pontiff was said to have shared the victims’ suffering and prayed with them, he has promised action, and action has been forthcoming this week.

Several bishops have resigned over the past weeks, mostly under the weight of accusations that they shielded abusive priests. On Friday, Belgium's longest-serving bishop resigned, expressing sorrow for having abused a boy both as a priest and after becoming bishop.

Just yesterday the Vatican said the Catholic Church it is capable of recognising its wounds and healing, and acknowledged once again that the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and abuse victims in Malta brought victims around the world new hope.

But two of the priests accused for the last seven years before the courts are still residing in very close proximity to a school, a situation the Maltese Church needs to rectify at its very earliest convenience.

Decades from now, it is hoped, the world and the Catholic faith will look back at Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to Malta as the turning point in the way the church deals with abuse, when it took the monumental decision to no longer turn a blind eye to abuse or leave itself open to accusations of cover-ups.

Non-cooperation

The fact that some of those called in for questioning by the Auditor General over their involvement in the Delimara power station extension contract were found to be uncooperative to the lines of questioning reveals something seriously amiss in the way such audits are carried out.

There is much that is not rosy at all about the contract - how its terms or reference were changed in mid-contract, the choice of prototype technology and just about everything else with it.

But the fact that those hauled in for questioning, as we are certain they did not offer themselves up voluntarily, chose to conveniently forget pertinent details of multi-million euros business deals is at once inexplicable and inexcusable.

If this is to be the case, and if the case is to rest there, there is no doubt that the Auditor General needs to have more tools at his disposal to make those who choose not to cooperate to do so. This is not a pick and choose situation in which those undergoing questioning should be able to opt out of certain questions that they feel uncomfortable answering.

True, the Auditor General found no hard evidence of corruption but that was mainly down to a lack of cooperation on the part of those accused of corruption. If the answers to the possibly more incriminating questions were not forthcoming, the State needs to find a way to extract blood from that particular stone. Anything short of that makes a mockery of the process.

Those questioned should be made to provide answers to the questions posed, or face serious consequences. Citing a lack of memory should never be an acceptable state of affairs.