ECA MEMBER UPDATES
on Global Projects
JUNE 2019
Ending Clergy Abuse - Global Justice Project (ECA) is a global network of survivors of clergy abuse, human rights activists, organizations and advocates from over 18 countries and 6 continents who work towards providing a global voice and action on the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Members work to protect children, seek effective justice for victims and
examine ways to end the structural mechanisms in the Roman Catholic Church which allow for this abuse.
ECA members are working diligently across the world to address ECA's global mission to end clergy sexual abuse. It is hoped that updates on current member projects can provide opportunities to bridge cultural divides and to collaborate within the wider ECA network and global community.
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1. Survivors and lawyers in Argentina have asked ECA to continue to work with them on a number of initiatives that they are undertaking. A petition was started by them to amend the Concordat. SIGN THE PETITION HERE.
2. Argentine lawyers have asked ECA for assistance in helping them to compile a report for submittal to the UN committee Against Torture with the assistance of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) which ECA will contact for them.
3. A survivor group led by Sebastian Cuattromo (Adultxs por los derechos de la infancia) and Julieta Anazco's group (Iglesia Sin Abusos ISA) have asked for continual follow up and training and strategy sessions as they move forward with their media campaigns.
4. Provolo victims have asked ECA to help them get to Rome to meet with the Pope. A Go Fund Me Campaign is being considered for this effort. They have asked the Argentine Ambassador to assist in arranging the meeting.
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Leona Huggins and Bernadette Howell are members of ECA from Vancouver, Canada.
On June 8, 2019, Leona and Bernadette attended the final meeting of a committee gathered by the Archbishop of Vancouver, Michael Miller (British Columbia, Canada) in this Archdiocese’s first ever historical sexual abuse case review committee.
Archbishop Miller played a role in the advancement of tackling the issue of clergy sexual abuse when he funded (in part) Leona and Bernadette’s travel to Rome in February 2019 during the time of Pope Francis summit on clergy abuse.
Canada’s recent document “Protecting Minors from Sexual Abuse” (Sept 2018) produced by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) was recently hailed by Jesuit priest Frederick Lombardi (chosen to chair the historic Feb. 21-24, 2019 summit on clergy Abuse at the Vatican) as a model for others to follow quoting its “ precise and detailed recommendations and action points”.
Leona is also currently liaising with some media contacts who are interested in getting a response from survivor advocates once the report of the case review is made public.
In addition Leona has been working on creating a stronger network of Canadian survivor-advocates and activists some of which want to lobby for a royal commission.
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Founding Member Juan Carlos Claret Pool is currently working on two projects:
1) To finish writing a book to unravel the institutional responsibility of the Catholic Church for the sexual abuse of clergy in Chile.
2) To collaborate in the landing of these ideas in the Catholic communities. For this reason, I have been chosen as Executive Secretary of the National Network of Laity of Chile, a body that gathers communities from Arica to Punta Arenas, to confront the cause of abuses from within: reflection on the exercise of power within Catholic institutions and strategic alliances of collaboration to accompany victims in their personal and/or judicial
process.
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Founding/Board Member Sara Oviedo Fierro is working on projects involving all types of sexual abuse of children and adolescents: in families, in educational establishments, in dance academies, in the church. In addition, in Ecuador eradicating sexual abuse in all these areas is a national priority and that is what we have assumed the "National Coalition against Sexual Abuse" - COCASEN of which I am the coordinator.
As COCASEN we are promoting:
1. Inter-institutional Tables throughout the country, with the participation of civil society to follow up the judicial processes against sexual abusers.
2. A law of reparation for victims.
3. A permanent commission on childhood and adolescence in the National Assembly (Congress), to oversee institutions that do not fulfill their responsibilities for both prevention and sanction of sexual abuse.
4. We are conducting an online survey on sexual abuse,
5. We are doing seedlings before the different institutions once a month.
6. We are implementing a retroactive strategy to punish abusers.
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The next efforts are to bring Cardinal Ladaria to justice with the common concern of the Vatican's use of diplomatic immunity to hinder investigations to bring wrong doers to justice.
Besides the case implicating Cardinal Ladaria, the Vatican is also not cooperating in an UK clergy sex abuse investigation using the shield of diplomatic immunity and has refused to allow the US to bringing a Vatican diplomat to justice for downloading and sharing child pornography while in the US, citing diplomatic immunity.
A disturbing pattern by the Vatican is clearly visible and preventing national efforts to deal with these crimes.
As we all know in Rome, Pope Francis' February Summit and his words signaled more openness and accountability but these actions give lie to the words.
Because the Barbarin case is heading to appeal's court, summoning Ladaria to testify as to the letter re: his knowledge of the case and hence the cover-up, may bolster the prosecutor's case, since from the reports, the account by the one victim in the case is probably going to be further scrutinized with the characteristic intention to discredit and cast doubt.This action to summon Ladaria would perhaps then set a precedent that heads of state
cannot hide behind "immunity of jurisdiction."
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2. In addition, there is the struggle with the Church in Germany. "We are at a decisive stage in the investigation of historical cases that can no longer be investigated by the civil judiciary by investigatory commissions in the individual dioceses. So far the church has been blocking a national investigation, and politicians have not supported us either. Talks have also begun on appropriate compensation."
3. In the process of raising support and funding for our Eckiger Tisch Association.
4. "I am continuing to pursue the legal recognition of ECA Europe and I hope that we will receive money for projects in this way. The first goal would be support for a meeting to which we can invite our ECA friends from the rest of the world. Politicians are very cautious here too, but I am in talks with politicians and foundations."
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Viginia Saldanha and her group, the Indian Women Theologians Forum and Ecclesia of Women in Asia, are currently planning on steps to support the sister survivor whose case has come up in court. The sisters have been marginalized by their
congregation and the official Church so they struggle even in every day life.
"The cardinal in my diocese has wiggled out of the case against him by distorting facts. That is the power that the official church wields in a country even though we are a so called minority. Another group is handling this case."
Amongst other things, Joseph Kennedy is working on Jesuit abuse in Chennai.
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Simone Padovani and Francesco Zinardi, Founding Members of ECA / Rete L'Abuso are working on:
1. Organizing a series of awareness-raising events on the Italian territory. The first will be in Padua in September, the second in Milan in January. The purpose of these events is to make people understand what abuse by the clergy means in all aspects: psychological, legal, relational, short and long term consequences.
The adopted method, a chronological narration of an abuse, has been designed specifically to allow for a greater impact and to make it more engaging.
2. Creation of a victim's manual, where besides suggestions on how to recognize abuse, what to do, from all points of view, there will be a section dedicated to the situation in Italy.
3. Photovoice project with the victims and their families in Italy. Already started with the Alessandro case.
4. Two celebratory events: 10 years since the birth of Rete L'Abuso and All Survivors Day (3 November) in at least 10 Italian cities
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Founding/Board Member Dr. Denise Buchanan is working on the following projects:
1. Organizing meetings with the Jamaican High Commissioner in Abuja, Nigeria (July 24-29) to discuss the transfer of alleged sexual predator priests from Nigeria to Jamaica.
2. Working with Jamaicans for Justice, Ltd to include in Jamaica's report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, a submission on clergy sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults.
3. Co-founded a resource center for sexually abused and troubled youth In Jamaica to learn life skills and principles of finance, business and entrepreneurship for successful living.
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Founding Member, Attorney Adalberto Mendez Lopez, is working with the Mexican press in an article for HBO Latam, related to the clergy abuses in Mexico and Latam. They will publish it shortly.
He is also working on starting to recover a law proposal in the Mexican Senate, related to the prohibition of statues of limitation related with sex crimes committed against children in Mexico by Clergy.
In October 2018, Cristina Sada organized the First Forum on Sexual Abuse by Clergy in the history of Mexico which received national attention. She composed a documentary about a priest who presumably committed more than 100 sexual abuses against Catholic Indian children. After the documentary and other pressure from the judicial system, the priest received 16.5 years, the first sentence ever given in Mexico to an alleged pedophile
priest.
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Our national network (the Network of Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions and Their Supporters), an unincorporated group of survivors and advocates, has led the efforts to make The Catholic Church in New Zealand open to forensic investigation by this Royal Commission made up of five Commissioners and a Senior Counsel Assisting.
Our Network has actively exposed paedophiles in the ranks of this institution and seeks reparation and justice for survivors. Recently we exposed the eulogizing of a confessed paedophile and the celebration of his life in a requiem mass in Auckland attended by the Bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn and the luminaries of the Society of Mary. His offending was dismissed as an "allegation".
In similar vein, the Network led a book launching (The Catholic Boys) of three boys sexually molested by a Father Frank Green on the steps of the Church of Our Lady of The Assumption, that witnessed a Maori traditional cleansing and a ribbon tying on the iron fence there, only to have the ribbons slashed down as it was claimed children had been frightened by the messages written on these ribbons. This included the horrifying message, "Love
Conquers All". In response to the outrage this evoked in survivors, some ribbons were retrieved and retied.
We have grave fears over the efficacy and success of the Royal Commission which has yet to hold public hearings but we hope to expose the degree of sexual abuse by officials of this institution by constant media focus on its behavior.
We are exhausted fighting a NZD 4 billion organisation but unbending in our determination to prevail against seemingly overwhelming odds.
With ECA Global support, this outcome might yet be achieved.
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Denise is particularly interested in what is happening in Nigeria as she has interviewed Jamaican clergy abuse survivors and gained feedback that alleged sexually exploitative Nigerian priests have been transferred from Nigeria to Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, and then transferred either back to Nigeria, the Caribbean or within Africa when complaints were received.
ECA has received a request for collaboration with a Nigerian survivor-group to work with them on the growing clergy sexual abuse crisis in Nigeria. On the invitation of advocates in Nigeria, Denise will self-fund a trip to Nigeria (July 24-29) to follow-up on this information.
Any ECA members with relevant leads or connections in Abuja, Nigeria would be greatly appreciated.
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Founding Member, Pedro Salinas reports that unfortunately in Peru there is no information on clerical pederasty at the country level. He is focused on the Sodalitium Case.
He reports that in August there will a Congressional commission proposed, a Truth Commission, or something similar, to start an investigation throughout Peru. But he doesn't think such an initiative would go ahead.
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While sex abuse accusations are growing against Catholic Clergy in Poland, the work of Attorney Anna Frankowska and her efforts with The Foundation ‘Nie lękajcie się “ meaning "Have No Fear" in Poland, have been nationally recognized.
"It was a real honor to be named pro bono attorney of Poland by the lawyers here. I am the first lawyer in Poland to quit a leading international ław firm to go to an NGO. So this was in recognition of the courage it takes to make such a move. Plus the topic of church pedophilia is especially challenging given the special position the Catholic Church holds in Poland. It was the proudest moment of my almost 30-year professional
career."
On June 14, 2019 representatives of The "Have No Fear" Foundation attended the press conference following the visit of Archbishop Scicluna. The Archbishop refused to meet with survivors and activists from the Foundation and told the journalists he was not aware of the report on the breaches of law by Polish bishops who covered up pedophilia, which the Foundation delivered to Pope Francis in February, 2019.
On May 20, 2019 "Have no Fear" Foundation representatives, together with representatives of other Polish NGOs, presented the basic assumptions regarding a new law setting up the truth and compensation commission that would investigate pedophilia in the Polish Church. This was the first step in the legislative process to adopt such a law in Poland; given the strong opposition of the Church and the current government, there can be no assurance that such law
will in fact be adopted. The commission would be independent from the Church and the government. Matthias Katsch served as advisor in connection with this project.
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More news from Poland
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A CNN documentary featuring the story of ECA's Founding Member, Benjamin Kitobo's is in the final stages of production. It will shine the light on clergy sexual abuse for the first time in the Republic of the Congo which includes tracking the transfer of perpetrator priests from country to country.
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Founding Member Miguel Hurtado is working on:
2) Campaign to approve national violence against children act by Spanish congress
3) Writing a book about clergy sex abuse in Spain (autobiography)
4) Ted talk about child abuse culture in Catholic Church
5) Working with regional (Catalonia) human rights commissioner to establish commission of enquiry about clergy sex abuse cases in Catalonia
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Founding Member Jean-Marie Fürbringer and ECA's Swiss members of SAPEC will be represented in Bern, Helvetiaplatz on 29 June. They will be speaking in French and Italian.
They will be addressing the Vatican authorities with concrete requests for more consistency and closure in the handling of cases of sexual abuse, and they are calling for change.
Their event, Rally "against abuse, let's act" is with Doris Wagner, a former religious nun and theologian who was abused by a priest.
Everyone is invited to join the rally with a sign on site or on social media saying why they are support the event.
For those in Switzerland, Meet them a little before noon on Helvetiaplatz. This place is very close to the Apostolic Nunciature.
They also invite everyone to sign the online petition at:
which will be given to the nuncio.
Membre du SAPEC/ECA
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Speaking openly about clergy sexual violence is still very dangerous in Africa. Nearly 45% of Ugandans are Catholic and the African Catholic Church has been reluctant to admit there is an issue of clergy sexual abuse. However, when the Pope stated in Rome in February that clergy abuse is a world-wide
problem even in Africa this gave permission for the issue to be discussed. This was an important statement for the people of Africa to hear.
ECA has since been working with Janet Aguti, a Ugandan survivor of sexual violence who was introduced to us by Matthias. She is part of a German sponsored organization in Uganda called the Social Innovation Academy (SINA) who helped her
to create what she now calls Totya Platform, which provides support to both women and men who have been sexually abused as children or young adults.
Denise and Founding/Board Member Tim Law will be with Janet in July (12th – 24th) to meet her team. We will be there while 500 bishops are meeting at the African
Bishops Conference Golden Jubilee in the capital of Uganda, Kampala. We are discussing having a press conference in Mpigi and Kampala to give prominence to Janet and Totya Platform’s work on the issue of child sexual abuse and to call upon the bishops to openly discuss this issue. ECA’s efforts in Uganda and Africa are exploratory at this time but we see this as a great opportunity to be part of the conversation and
active in assisting our African survivor/activists.
Any ECA members with relevant leads or connections in Uganda would be greatly appreciated.
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Click here for full Uganda Report
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Pete Saunders, ECA Founding Member:
"Despite multiple meetings and email communications with Cardinal Vincent Nichols - Archbishop of Westminster, he has failed to get back to me about a proposal to support NAPAC."
"The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse continues to produce damning reports into institutions that failed and continue to fail children. Anyone interested in reading these reports can do so by visiting the site: Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse: www.iicsa.org.uk. Catholic
institutions are included."
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ECA Global is being represented by Founding Member Peter Isely at the Spring and Fall general assemblies of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington DC as well as the US bishops gathering in Chicago in January, 2019.
ECA's actions, statements and press events with US survivors were widely covered in the US and global media.
ECA joined the largest US organization of survivors, SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), one of the premier human rights organizations in the US, calling for a US Federal investigation of abuse and cover up in the church. The effort was launched in a global press event outside the Vatican embassy in Washington, DC. ECA members also met with US Ambassador to the Holy See, Calista Gingrich,
to urge action and ECA is in ongoing talks with her office. Since then, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has several active investigations now underway in the US.
ECA is vocal in the accountability of US Bishops to report the names of accused clergy and for the dioceses to stop lobbying against the elimination of the statute of limitation laws.
ECA will join with SNAP in submitting a joint letter to all 50 Attorney General offices in the country to address the concerns of the Bishop's approved third party system for reporting abuse.
ECA is collaborating with Bishop Accountability.org which is the leading global research organization that tracks abuse cases worldwide.
Peter Isely has been invited to be one of the featured speakers at the 2019 Aspen Ideas Festival, which will take place at the Aspen Institute in Aspen, Colorado, June 23-29, 2019. He will be discussing the recent blizzard of high-profile cases exposing patterns of child sexual abuse
in America and ECA's work around the prevention of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Aspen's Ideas Festival is the nation’s premiere public gathering for insightful dialogue on the today’s most critical issues.
Founding/Board Member Tim Law along with his wife Chris, through their non-profit ECA USA, have been the main donors for over 14 ECA Global campaigns, projects and activities to date in Poland, Chile, Peru, Geneva, USA, Ireland, Rome/Italy, France, Argentina and Uganda. Building on the success of these ventures, they are actively seeking donors for upcoming ECA local and global projects which further the mission of ECA, and encourage all ECA members to do
the same.
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Zero Tolerance + Zero Cover Up = Truth and Justice
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BE AN ECA SOCIAL MEDIA AMBASSADOR
ECA’s Social Media Ambassadors Program is an exciting and easy way FOR YOU to get involved with ECA and to encourage existing members who know and love the mission of ECA to spread the word about ECA globally.
ECA will utilize Social Media Ambassadors to direct strong social media campaigns and ECA messages to target specific regions and issues relating to the sexual abuse of children by clergy.
ECA has a number of campaigns in the pipeline and we need you to get involved. Together we will #EnditNOW!
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