The Aotearoa New Zealand abuse survivor group SNAP has asked the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care to carefully examine the American Catholic Church’s charter on clerical and religious child sexual abuse known as the Dallas Charter 20 years after the Charter was issued.

SNAP’s leader Christopher Longhurst says while the Charter may have been a well-intentioned attempt to curtail serious incidences of clergy and religious child sexual abuse in the American Catholic Church, it also failed because bishops retained oversight on all processes.

“The American Church also was vague about reporting child abuse saying it was to be reported to ‘public authorities’ but should have been clearer and say ‘reported to the Police.’

“Another ambiguity was the reporting of current and past sexual abuse crimes, some going back years. Some police authorities will only investigate current cases.

SNAP has asked the Commission to recommend clearly to the Government that mandatory reporting of all sexual abuse allegations from whatever timeframe always be made to the Police.

“It is the public safety bar of vulnerable children and adults that should form the basis of what mandatory reporting should look like.

“Where some people do not want to go to the Police, they inevitably complain to the institutions involved or to family members or friends. This means perpetrators sometimes get away with their crimes.

“It is clear in the Commission’s report to the Government that State and Faith-based institutions have used deceitful practices to evade discovery of abuse.” According to SNAP, the current clergy-focused response from New Zealand’s Catholic bishops remains a major cause of ongoing concern.

“SNAP wants an independent focused public and survivor-led alternative where abused people report to an independent body in a safe space.”

SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND TRUST
Webpage: http://www.snapnetwork.org/aotearoa_new_zealand

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