The Catholic Weekly 14 June 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 4 NEWS 14, June, 2020 catholicsuper.com.au We’re here to help you VICTIMS OF childhood sexu- al abuse from across Western Australia feel betrayed and angry over the interference of the Seal of Confession by the State’s Minister for Child Pro- tection. Non-Catholic and Catho- lic survivors are petitioning members of WA’s Legislative Council to reject proposed amendments to the Children and Community Services Act, which will require Catholic priests to report knowledge of child sexual abuse when re- ceived through the practice of confession. James Parker, who runs peer support groups for child abuse survivors in Western Australia, said the proposed legislation was a “betrayal of every survivor’s journey of re- covery”. He said the proposed amendments by Minister Si- mone McGurk MLA, which included a call to ignore the Seal of Confession and to force Catholic priests to report knowledge or suspicions of child sex abuse, in reality can cause grievous harm to the Law angers victims WA survivors of abuse challenge StateMinister over Seal of Confession legislation James Parker. PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI very people it seeks to protect and actually permit further abuse to occur. “Simone McGurk is not listening to survivors’ lived re- alities and how our stories can help to protect children today and into the future,” he said. “It is commonly known that perpetrators don’t talk about abuse in the confessional ... but many survivors do. “The confessional remains the only place that a vulner- able child or adult victim can easily access and without cost talk with anonymity and pri- vacy about their present or past trauma.” As a non-Catholic teenager, Parker used the confessional to first disclose his extensive history of childhood sexual abuse. “I was a suicidal teenager. I had no one to turn to who would let me talk at my pace and respect my need at that time for utter privacy. It was the kindness and empathy of a Catholic priest that literally saved my life.” Two decades later, Park- er’s witness was fundamental in convicting a serial paedo- phile. “Without the Seal of Confession, I would never have begun my journey of re- covery, which would have left a prolific child abuser roam- ing free even today to con- tinue molesting children,” he said. “Many victims tell me they feel betrayed and want the Minister to concentrate on bolstering support for survi- vors rather than threatening and policing a critical private space which many survivors use and have used to find hope and healing.” One survivor spoke of her despair and being “re-trau- matised” by the Minister’s proposals regarding abuse she suffered in her indige- nous community. “In 2020, where else can an Aboriginal child or teenag- er go within their community setting and find a totally con- fidential listening ear to talk to about abuse while remain- ing completely anonymous?” she said. “What looks like a visible win for the government will be a complete catastrophe for survivors.” Another victim admitted the proposals were “increas- ing his anxiety, leaving him feeling totally betrayed and abandoned by this govern- ment”. “We the abuse victims are being frightened away from going to confession,” he said. “Shouldn’t the government be on our side? If we aren’t strengthened inside of our- selves, which is what confes- sion has done and does forme continually, then how are we going to start building up the confidence and courage to be able to report past crimes to the police and then have the inner strength to deal with the pressure and stress of any po- tential court proceedings?” Ms McGurk said the Gov- ernment was standing firm on its decision on the amend- ments to the Children and Community Services Act. “The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard from 7,981 survivors of child sexual abuse, looked at 57 case studies involving spe- cific instances of child sexual abuse in Australian institu- tions, held more than 8000 private sessions, took more than 42,000 phone calls, re- ceived more than 25,000 emails and letters and pub- lished 59 independent re- search reports,” she said. “This body of work was completed over five years and resulted in 17 volumes of find- ings based on the evidence gathered, along with 409 rec- ommendations to address those findings. “While every survivor’s ex- perience should be acknowl- edged, the Royal Commission recommended that we imple- ment this measure based on the overwhelming evidence in front of it.” Ph: 4620 8822 or 9708 6972 www.KenneallysFunerals.com.au ‘ Servicing greater Sydney and the Macarthur area’ Why choose Kenneally’s  Servicing the Catholic Community  Family owned and operated  After funeral bereavement support available  Tailored options for your personal finances  Affordable pre-paid and pre-arranged funerals Prompt and Personalised Care ¾ ¾ Debbie Cramsie Jail forms Cardinal’s advice to students CARDINAL GEORGE Pell has urged university stu- dents fromacross Australia to reflect on the Christian teaching on suffering, of- fering advice for those ex- periencing what he called “moments of extremity.” Patron of the the Aus- tralian Catholic Students’ Association for close to 20 years, the Cardinal ad- dressed the students at an online retreat held over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Referring to his own 13 month imprisonment, he said there is a lot of good- ness in prisons. Many oth- ers go throughmuch great- er suffering than what he experienced. “My ordeal was difficult and unpleasant,” the Car- dinal said, “but it was far from the worst … My suf- fering was not like that, for example, of parents who have lost children.” However prison had confirmed for him the im- portance of the Christian understanding of suffer- ing. “I’m still teaching the same Christian message,” he said, “and I’m here simply to say to you that it works – not in the sense that I was acquitted, but that this Christian teaching helped me survive.” He offered five basic rules for anyone going through times of grief, loss or other suffering. They included: setting a fixed time to rise each day, ensuring a fixed number of hours to sleep each night, eating regularly because it is easy for a person to ne- glect nourishment when they are in shock, avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol and ensuring reg- ular exercise every day. For him, walking had been therapeutic, he said. Lawyers query lack of NSW anti-slavery action THE ST Thomas More guild of NSW Catholic lawyers has written to NSW MPs over the lack of action in implement- ing historic anti-slavery legis- lation. The Guild is concerned about the NSW Modern Slav- ery Act 2018 which passed unanimously in the NSW par- liament but has languished since. “Nobody has come out clearly as to why they oppose it,” Society President Michael McAuley told The Catholic Weekly . “My understanding is there are people who want this legislation never to be proclaimed – for business in- terests. “I am concerned lobbyists representing unidentified non-disclosed business in- terests have urged the NSW government not to allow the legislation to commence.” The legislation, if pro- claimed, will compel state- ments on supply chains and ethical practices on a public register by entities in NSW with an annual turnover in excess of $50 million dollars - with penalties for those who do not comply.