In 2010, a local newspaper reported that “a total of 84 allegations of child abuse, involving 45 Maltese priests, were reported to a Church response team over the last 11 years”.
Since then, we never heard of those allegations of child abuse involving 45 Maltese priests. The allegations were brushed under the Church’s carpet.
The record shows that in Catholic dioceses in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria and The Netherlands, so-called “response teams” and “safeguarding commissions” are more interested in safeguarding the reputation of the Catholic Church than in safeguarding children from paedophile priests.
On 6th May, the same local newspaper reported: “Five people had their pastoral activity restricted by the Church after its so-called Safeguarding Commission investigated 46 people last year following claims of abuse.”
The obvious question comes up: Who are these “people”? Were the “five people”, who had their pastoral activity restricted by the Church, priests?
The newspaper report went on to say that “two thirds of the cases, 31, involved minors”. Regarding the form of reported abuse, Safeguarding Commission head, Andrew Azzopardi, said that “most of the complaints were about sexual abuse”.
Will this sexual abuse be ever reported to the police – or will it remain concealed behind the “holy doors”?
John Guillaumier
St Julian’s