Sisters want cases of sexual abuse exposed

THE sisters of the Catholic archdiocese of Port Moresby say sexual abuse cases should be exposed.
“This should no longer be kept hidden. Neither for cultural, religious or other reasons,” a statement said.
Sister Mary McCarthy said during a one-day meeting of 55 nuns in Port Moresby on Saturday that we should become more open to the pain of the victims of abuse in our communities.
“One day recently, after school, one mother came to talk to me,” she said.
“She said her little daughter had been sexually abused and the mother was ready to speak out.
“In the sharing of experiences in a small group, this teacher found out, that like other teachers, children and parents are now speaking out and calling for a stop to sexual abuse.” A video on the address by Cardinal Luis Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila, during the recent sexual abuse summit in Rome was screened.
The cardinal had challenged the sisters to promote forgiveness and become agents of healing.
However, justice must first be done, Sister Mary said. This means reporting sexual abuse to the police who will charge criminals to be dealt with by the court, enabling the victim to begin to heal.
In a homily, Fr Ambrose Pereira, the social communications and youth secretary for the Catholic Bishops Conference, talked on the need to break the culture of silence when manipulation was used as an abuse of power.
“Listen to the ones who are abused and speak up for them,” he said.