Italian associations have just launched the campaign “Beyond the Great Silence” to draw attention to cases of sexual abuse in the Church. They are calling for a comprehensive inventory of the situation and the opening of independent investigations.
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If in France, as in many countries, commissions are set up to bring to light the scandals of sexual abuse in the Church and free the voice of the victims, the Italian initiatives sometimes come up against the reluctance of the Vatican and the institutions . Also, associations are trying to unite to be stronger and have just launched the campaign “Beyond the great silence”.
And the victims speak out: like this 40-year-old man, son of a pedophile priest who raped his mother at 14, or like this Catholic family who, ten years after their son’s assault, is told by his priest not to “spit in the soup”. Antonio Messina speaks for the first time in public. He asserts that the Church wanted to buy his silence.
“They offered me a sum of money through the Caritas of the diocese, illegally with undeclared payments. In exchange I had to sign a confidentiality clause…”
Antonio Messinaat franceinfo
The bishop affirms the contrary but the lawsuit is in hand. The associations are calling for a real inventory because so far nothing has been done, explains Francesco Zanardi. Himself abused, he created the only association for the defense of victims. “Italy is an anomaly in the world panorama, he explains. The situation must frighten the Italian government if we look at what happened in France: they counted 216,000 victims of priests and in Italy we have 30,000 more priests than in France… But here there is too much reluctance from institutions and magistrates.”
Some bishops say they are ready to launch an investigation, but will it be independent in a country where the Church is still protected by institutions? Associations now rely on public opinion.