That tacit agreement between the State and the Church that guarantees the impunity of Catholic priests from prison in Italy
Geneva 7 February 2019: “The Committee is concerned about the numerous cases of children being sexually abused by religious personnel of the Catholic Church in the territory of the Member State and for the low number of criminal investigations and prosecutions by the Italian judiciary”.
These are not our words but those of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, more precisely those contained in the recommendations of 7 February (point 21 of the report) that the Committee for the Rights of the Child disputes with Italy – in this case – against the Italian Justice, but continuing, in the same document, also against […]
With much touted “new” papal decree today, there is still no actual zero tolerance for child sex crimes by clergy even in Vatican City
STATEMENT BY: Peter Isely, (US Spokesperson/ECA Founding Member)
March 29, 2019. Today Pope Francis has put into church law for the small territory of the Vatican State what Vatican officials are touting as the most “advanced international thinking on the matter” of reporting, prosecuting and preventing child sex crimes and penalties for failing to report those crimes. Even though these changes apply to only several hundred Vatican state citizens and papal diplomats, the changes are being hailed by the Vatican as “the model” for bishops to follow around the world.
It’s appalling that the new law for the Vatican state does not even enact true zero tolerance for child sex crimes. Zero tolerance is simple and clear. Any cleric who has been determined to have […]
Survivors expectations High for Wednesday’s Anticipated Meeting with Pope Francis
Survivors expectations High for Wednesday’s Anticipated Meeting with Pope Francis
Survivors who are leaders of victims’ organizations from around the world will be in attendance
WHAT
Five victims of clergy sexual abuse who are members of Ending Clergy Abuse, a global organization of prominent survivors and activists who are in Rome for this week’s papal summit, will be meeting at the Vatican Wednesday morning. The group expects Pope Francis to attend the meeting. The meeting was arranged by the members of the papal summit planning committee.
WHEN
The group will first make remarks at a scheduled press conference at 10:30 a.m. then leave for the Vatican at 11:00 a.m. for the planned meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Members who are attending the meeting will be available for comment after the meeting.
WHERE
Press […]
Global Countdown to Zero Tolerance – ECA Schedule of Activities
“Global Countdown to Zero Tolerance.”
International Clergy Abuse Survivors, Activists and Allies to Stage Five Day Campaign in Rome during Papal Summit.
Actions will include a Global “March to Zero”.
Rome, Italy (January 31, 2019) — A global organization of prominent clergy abuse survivors and activists, Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA), will be leading actions and protests in Rome during the upcoming papal summit, February 20-24, calling upon Pope Francis to write into universal church law zero tolerance for sexual abuse and cover-up.
Expected in Rome will be fifty ECA leaders from six continents representing over 21 nations. They will convene in Rome on Monday, February 18. The group’s plans include a Global “March to Zero” led by survivors on Saturday, February 23. Joining ECA will be leaders […]
ECA Global calls for meeting with Pope Francis at February Summit.
January 16, 2019.
His Holiness, Pope Francis.
Apostolic Palace.
00120 Vatican City.
Dear Pope Francis,
We are writing to you as global survivors of childhood clergy sexual abuse and human rights activists to urge you to include in your February summit members of our association, Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA).
We are survivors and activists from virtually every part of the world where the church has made a home over the long centuries. In February, we will be present in Rome with approximately 45 participants from 21 countries and 5 continents. We will be standing outside peacefully but forcefully demanding action by you to effectively address the issue of clergy abuse of children and cover up.
It is our desire, however, to be inside the summit with you and your […]
Global activists present Italian clergy sexual abuse cases to the UN and follow with protest
Francesco Zanardi at Press Conference in Italy in Nov. 2018. Photo by: Simone Padovani.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. January 21, 2019. Francesco Zanardi, an Italian survivor and President of the Italian Association Rete L’Abuso and member of ECA Global, will be in Geneva at the headquarters of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on January 22nd and 23rd, to present the Italian case to The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Following the presentation on January 22, there will be a protest at 2pm.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the body of 18 Independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State parties. Among the States party to the Convention that will […]
Global group of activists and survivors of sexual abuse in France and elsewhere stand with Vignon
(Photo credit: John Leicester, File/Associated Press)
Statement by Nadia Debbache, ECA Assembly Member and Lead Counsel for La Parole Libérée.
November 4. 2018. French priest Pierre Vignon, a judge of the Officiality or Ecclesiasticel Court of Lyon (France) has just been sanctioned for publicly asking for the resignation of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon.
Barbarin will be on trial at the criminal court in Lyon in January 2019 for failing to report the sexual abuse of more than 70 children by Fr Bernard Preynat in the 1980s and 1990s.
Last August Vignon launched an online petition calling for the resignation of Barbarin. The petition collected more than 105,000 signatures.
Under the pretext of a technicality in church law, and designed to punish Vigonon for his […]
Survivors from around the globe welcome US federal investigation of Pennsylvania dioceses but inquiry needs to be nationwide
US justice officials are well behind Australia and other countries.
October 18, 2018. Today it was learned that the US Justice Department has finally launched an investigation into the sex abuse of children and the cover up of those crimes in the dioceses of Pennsylvania. This is a long overdue and significant development. It should lead to a nationwide probe of every diocese and religious order in the US, especially where the documentation and evidence is similar, if not more damning, than Pennsylvania. This includes several states where nearly full sets of church documents have been court ordered released through civil courts and church bankruptcies. There are now over a million pages of abuse files that have been made public across the […]
Protest in Warsaw to demand investigation of pedophilia in Poland’s church
Warsaw protest to demand investigation of pedophilia in Poland’s church.
Reported by Donald Snyder NCR online. October 4, 2018.
Childrens’ shoes are seen Aug. 26 on the fence of the Church of Saint Florian in Krakow, Poland, for victims of pedophilia in that diocese. (Jakub Porzycki/Agenja Gazeta).
Child sexual abuse survivor and victims’ advocate Marek Lisinski is leading a march Oct. 7 in Warsaw to protest pedophilia in Poland’s Catholic Church. Lisinski, 50, is president of Don’t Be Afraid Foundation, an organization that counsels and operates a hotline for survivors of sexual abuse.
Global survivors of clergy abuse call for action against abuse in seminaries
As worldwide synod of bishops on young people and vocations begins in Rome global survivors of clergy abuse call for action against abuse in seminaries.
Group wants synod to embrace zero tolerance of sexual violence, cover up by bishops and demand Vatican compliance with UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Statement by Peter Isely, Founding Member, Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA).
October 2, 2018. Bishops around the world will convene on Wednesday October 3rd in Rome to begin a month-long synod on young people, faith and vocational discernment. The purpose of the synod is to discuss and make recommendations to Pope Francis. They are meeting during an unprecedented global crisis of sexual assault of youngsters by clergy and the cover up of these crimes by […]