The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Aotearoa New Zealand is again calling on Catholic Church leaders to audit their National Office for Professional Standards. That Office is responsible for complaints of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy and religious.

This follows an unrequited call to Pope Francis which asked him to compel the New Zealand Catholic bishops and congregational leaders to audit their National Office for Professional Standards.

SNAP believes it is important for the public to know how survivors are being treated when they reach out for healing. “We are talking about a particular group of people who have been abused sexually, physically, psychologically, and even spiritually by priests and religious. They are now being denied the ‘fair and compassionate’ response that Church leaders promised,” says Dr. Christopher Longhurst, National Leader of SNAP Aotearoa.

The Interim Report of the ABUSE IN CARE ROYAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY noted that no audit of the Catholic Church’s redress process had been carried out. “The litany of violent behaviours in the past cannot be hidden today under a blanket of safeguarding policies and professional standards not subject to a public performance review.”

SNAP noted that complaints of mishandling of victim and survivor abuse cases remain ignored by the New Zealand Catholic bishops and congregational leaders.

“The bishops have only responded to news reporters. Recent claims by Auckland Bishop Steve Lowe about Church leaders ‘continually updating and improving [their] complaints and disclosure processes’ were seen by SNAP as a diversion tactic to mislead the public,” says Don McLeish, SNAP Aotearoa trustee.

“We are calling for an external audit, not more internal secret reviews. Survivors deserve better and the public has the right to know about these constant violations of ‘Te Houhanga Rongo - A Path to Healing’ so they can judge the resolve of church leaders to truly accept responsibility and act to stop abuse and restore the harm done.”

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests in Aotearoa New Zealand

© Scoop Media