The role of insurance companies in defending claims of child abuse is investigated in a BBC Radio 4 programme @ 20.00 on Tuesday 24 February 2015. Thereafter, it will be available on the BBC iPlayer
see following link http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0537662
During the 1960s and 70s, and possibly into the 1980s, priests and brothers of the Comboni Missionary Order (formerly Verona fathers) sexually abused children as young as 11 years of age at their seminary in Mirfield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
A group of ex seminarians, The Mirfield 12, have successfully prosecuted a civil case against the Comboni Missionaries: a legal case remains outstanding. More ex seminarians abused by Comboni Missionaries have now come forward to pursue both legal and civil actions.
A culture of abuse existed at the Comboni Missionaries seminary in Mirfield. All of the abused have struggled to come to terms with the experience and to understand how it came about. Our concern was not only about the individuals who perpetrated the abuse but also the organisations which allowed this to happen, and is to this day in denial that any abuse took place.
A 2013 report from CEOP ‘The Foundations of Abuse:
A thematic assessment of the risk of child sexual abuse by adults in institutions’ provides some telling analysis of the way institutions operate to produce such fertile ground for child sexual abuse to take place. The key findings are below.
1) Children in institutional settings are not only at risk from adults who are inclined to abuse them sexually; but also from adults who either fail to notice abuse or, if they do, fail to report it.
2) Where institutions put their own interests ahead of those of the children who engage with them, abusive behaviours are likely to become normalised, potentially leading to sexual abuse.
3) The culture within an institution has a strong influence on the degree to which abuse might occur within it. Poor leadership, closed structures, ineffective policies and procedures together with the discouragement of reporting, facilitates a malign climate which colludes with those inclined to sexually abuse children.
4) Where institutions are held in high regard and respected by the communities they serve, positional grooming can be perpetuated, whereby offenders conduct social or environmental grooming and mask their actions by virtue of their formal positions within an organisation.
5) Potential risks from those with a sexual interest in children who pursue work in institutions can be mitigated by vigilant and effective leadership and management.
6) Intense loyalty and conformity of workers to the mission, norms and values of an institution can inhibit them from reporting concerns.
7) The historic nature of many cases currently exercising media attention, together with developments in safeguarding, might give a false perception that this type of offending can no longer occur. Offenders continue to exploit systemic vulnerabilities where they exist.
The full report can be accessed here
http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/49-ceop-institutions-thematic-assessment/file
A powerful video. It shows a ‘strong and big man’
Mark Murray
by Brian Hennessy
Until two years ago, safeguarding for Religious (like the Comboni Missionaries) was undertaken in house.
It was then changed and the responsibility was undertaken by diocesan Safeguarding Officers – who report to the Safeguarding Commission. I have confirmed today that Father John Clark is no longer the Safeguarder for the VFs and the job is now in the hand if Philip Wright at the diocese if Arundel and Brighton for all cases related to the Comboni Missionaries.
All cases of abuse by a Comboni Missionary can be notified to a Safeguarding Officer – even historical abuse – and Nolan insists that historical abuse should be treated in exactly the same was as contemporary abuse of minors.
The Safeguarding Officers hold all this information in confidence in case more abuse by another individual is notified – and so that they can advise other diocesan Safeguarding Officers about Abusers working in their area.
They also advise the Police and Welfare Authorities in the case of minors and will provide assistance to Victims of any age who need it.
It is clear to me that no Comboni Missionary Safeguarding Officer ever reported an Abuser to anyone as they should have done.
We would have known had they done so because we would have been contacted immediately. This is an issue that will certainly need to be raised at the inquiry and I have documented it.
It occurs to me that we could report it ourselves. It is a critical element of the Nolan Report. it is quite likely that they never reported it because they wanted to keep it under wraps.
As I have most of the information, I am happy to report it on behalf of any of you who agree to it – or of course you could do it yourself and avail yourself of any of their services.
Of course when we talk of abuse – we mean also physical and psychological abuse – and that would put Father John Clark and Father Robert Hicks in the frame as well.
There are benefits in doing this even in cases of deceased VFs because if any new historic cases are reported – it will assist them in quickly verifying the information.
In respect to those Abusers still alive, it would assist the Safeguarding authority and the police and welfare authorities to manage any new reports about those abusers most effectively.
Naturally, you could elect not to inform the Police or welfare if you wanted – or you would be able to allow the police or welfare to be informed even though you did not wish to receive their services yourself.
There are two other compelling reasons why we should assist Safeguarding Officers as much as we can.
Firstly, we can advertise it on the blog and make the attached leaflet available on the blog. Guys may read it and get in touch themselves.
Secondly, we can encourage others – like our aching heart Boy X – who grieves me – and I think all of you – every time he writes on the blog – to get help – and the Safeguarding Officer, Philip Wright, will arrange for that.
Building the element of Safeguarding into our site will give it a new and important dimension.
Pope Francis has recently appointed Bishop Scicluna to work on addressing clerical abuse in the Catholic Church – http://www.ibtimes.com/who-bishop-charles-scicluna-pope-appoints-former-sex-crimes-prosecutor-lead-new-panel-1790168
Bishop Scicluna was also involved in similar work when Pope Ratzinger was in place.
I telephoned Bishop Scicluna in Malta last year. Bishop Scicluna informed me that he would be meeting Pope Francis the following week and he would raise, not only my situation, but also the situation of a number of my fellow seminarians that were also abused at the Comboni Fathers junior seminary in Mirfield in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
I also arranged a telephone meeting with him when he was sent to Scotland last year to investigate the clerical abuse that took place there. That meeting/conversation with me never took place – no excuses, no apologies – I was just kept waiting and hoping.
Kevin and I are still waiting for a reply to his – Kevin’s – letter, which I have copied below.
The correct email address was used – it was, in fact, the same email address that the Bishop had been using when he emailed me.
Dear Bishop Scicluna
My name is Kevin Deignan I was a seminarian at Mirfield with Mark Murray . I understand that Mark has been in contact with you to seek help in achieving some kind of closure for himself after the abuse he endured at the hands of Romano Nardo , and the mental abuse he is still suffering through the inaction of the order.
Prior to Mark’s disclosure to me 3yrs ago I considered my time at the seminary to be a totally positive one. I believed that the small community of priests who were entrusted with our care and wellbeing were amongst the most principled people I had ever met . After Mark’s revelation other people came forward and for me the illusion was shattered. Not one of these principled men could , for whatever reason , do the right thing .
As a naïve 11yr old boy I could not see , nor understand ,what was happening. I let a good friend down. As a 58yr old,worldly wise man, I will not let him down. I am trying to give Mark and his family as much support as they need to get through these difficult times. To this end I decided to contact you.
My main concern is that if nothing positive comes from his contact with you this will have a crushing effect on him. Mark has battled on in isolation for over 15yrs exploring all options to reach the closure he needs and deserves . Mark’s efforts have been thwarted by the order at every turn . Token gestures have been made to try and placate Mark while protecting the order and giving sanctuary to the abuser . The order’s actions ,or rather their inactions have forced Mark to look for a legal assistance .
I can only think that the order’s reluctance to meet Mark’s requests was due to fear of litigation but through their inaction they have brought about the thing they feared, Mark seeks closure not financial gain .
In all honesty I can say that I have had little faith in the church in matters of abuse within it’s ranks . There has been a lack of transparency and a reluctance for independent investigation . I am no longer a practising catholic . I was amazed by the fact that Mark and his family , until recently, were practising catholics . However on reflection this is not so strange as Mark was very devout as a young seminarian . I believe that it was this devout side of Mark , as well as several other young men , that Fr Nardo exploited. Nardo would often refer to passages from the bible to justify his action. The washing of Peter’s feet by Jesus would give him justification for intimate contact . The words ” suffer little children who come unto me ” would take on a completely different meaning .
I believe that you can bring pressure to bear that will ultimately give Mark the closure ,and his family the peace they deserve. The question is “ do I believe this will happen ? “ in truth the answer is no. Pope Francis is giving me hope ,a principled man. Can he guide the church to make the changes that will bring the disillusioned back to the fold ?
Mark hopes that something will come of this contact , but I would ask , no empty promises , honesty and fairness is all Mark asks for.
Your’s faithfully Kevin Deignan
Father Enrique Sanchez and Father David Glenday.
I would like to talk with you – you would not want to talk with me, I am sure of that. However, it is you, the representatives of the Comboni Missionaries, that should be offering the hand of reconciliation and pleading for forgiveness and not me.
I sometimes think how I would talk with – and how he would listen and how he would respond – to Father Peter Zuani, my Comboni Missionary Novice Master. I believe his response would have beeen totally different to yours. Father Peter was one of the most spiritual and holy men that I had ever been blessed with knowing.
There were many times – as so many of you must know – that I spent talking and praying with Father Peter about my vocation to the religious life. And there were times when I was on the cusp of telling him I had no vocation. There were times when I wanted to – was desperate inside to – tell him about the sexual abuse that Nardo had done to me. And yet, as a missionary Comboni Brother I was being sent to the very country that my abuser had been living in since 1970. I was living a lie, and I was too frightened to tell anyone or do anything about it.
I believed – irrationally – that because I had been sexually abused by the Comboni Missionary, Father Romano Nardo, I too, would go on and become an abuser of children. The fear that accompanied me when I thought about it, directed me in becoming a Comboni Brother. I too, just like Nardo was, would be kept safe and protected when, and if, I started abusing children.
It is probably now to late for talking, at least to me.
The abuse inquiry has begun. Today it is Day One for Judge, Lowell Goddard. It will be a Statutory Inquiry.
Mark Murray
Comboni Missionaries 