Calling a spade a spade

The Church has apologised and is even discussing compensation with the victim’s lawyers, now that so much has been exposed on the child abuse cases, despite its attempts to suppress the state of affairs. But rather than keeping schtum and quietly taking the deserved flak it is now blaming the media.

Of course, there are some in the media that thrive on sensationalism, but the Church representatives, like all those striving to retain power, have used that very same media to the hilt when it suits. If the media, not just here but internationally, had not exposed what was going on what would the state of play be today I wonder?

Not taking responsibility is an unfortunate trait shared by many. It is never virtuous for people to shirk their obligations, but when it is a religious or State body that evades facing up to their moral or legal duty it is more serious than just the lack of doing the honourable thing.

In the case of institutions like the Church or government, it is not just a matter of doing the right thing. It goes beyond that. As the ones who lead, they have an obligation to put things right and stop passing the buck.

In the child abuse cases involving the Church for example, we have seen evasive action being spun and spun in the attempt to minimise the damage to that institution. We have seen a global

shirking of responsibility on a long-term span.

As I remarked a couple of weeks ago, the onus goes further than the priests who committed the abuse. As in country by country child abuse by priests was being exposed, the Church was very slow in taking global action. It dealt with the problem individually as the worst was uncovered. We had bishops resigning, but containment was the order of the day.

Nevertheless, it was getting more difficult to suppress what was going on in places where children were meant to be protected, especially from evil. Documentaries were being released exposing how abusive priests in North America, Ireland and elsewhere were moved on to other parishes.

We heard about child abuse by priests that had gone undetected for years. There were cases where rather than keeping the priests suspected of abusing children away from them, they were sent to remote countries where communities were even more trusting.

The awful saga, which had been building up internationally for a while, was bound to affect us here as well. Despite that, there are still people who believe we live in a bubble, the awful revelation that child abuse in religious institutions was happening here too hit the fan, and the Curia had to tentatively pull its head out of the sand.

One of its evasive action ploys had been launching a “Response team”. The man who heads it Judge Caruana Colombo wrote in The Times on Thursday, “the Response Team does not decide whether an alleged perpetrator is guilty or otherwise of the alleged abuse.”

So, what is the point of having such an investigative body in the first place? Surely not to stretch things out interminably. Even the Vatican's chief prosecutor, Mgr Charles Scicluna, was critical of the way the Response Team handled the sex abuse cases and accused it of dragging its feet.

Besides, hang on a minute. Did the Response Team not send Charles Pulis, the now defrocked priest, back to carry on with his ‘good work’ following their first investigation, which in an unusually speedy process  (the Response Team investigations usually took up to seven years for it to reach a decision) concluded that he was ‘not guilty’ as charged.

And please let us call a spade a spade. I have just about had my fill of people trying to mystify by using sophistry. If an investigative body finds allegations unfounded, it means it found the alleged perpetrator not guilty since the allegations were not supported by evidence.

It took no more than a couple of months to reach the decision that the accusations of abuse against Pulis were unfounded. He was caught lying on his bed in his underwear with a boy on top of him.

The court, however, decided otherwise, “In circumstances where Carmelo Pulis allows minors in his room at about 11.45 p.m., while wearing a vest and boxer shorts, with a boy lying down on him and ending up with an erection, while saying that he never had homosexual tendencies and was allergic to homosexuals, to say the least, is contradictory,” it said in its judgement.

The Response Team had initiated a second investigation in October 2003, which this time took up nearly a decade to conclude that the accusations were “founded” after all.

Not only did the Response Team take nearly a decade to come to a different decision, but also, we were told, no decision on guilt or innocence would be reached after all those lengthy deliberations.

That was not the team’s function said the learned judge. Its raison d’être was to  “conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse by pastoral functionaries. The purpose of such an inquiry is to obtain information determining whether or not there are reasonable, or probable grounds to believe that there has been a situation of child sexual abuse.  

So, the Response Team is an enquiring body that establishes whether there should be an enquiry! However, it had established that there was no need for an enquiry in their first quick deliberation.

It took no more than a couple of months to reach the decision that Pulis was not guilty of abuse.

In some cases, even before concluding an investigation and without implying guilt or innocence, the Response Team may advise the Church to remove the accused from a position of access to minors, said Judge Caruana Colombo.

Nevertheless, the Team advised the Church that Pulis need not be removed from such a position in their first assessment, despite clear indications that he was totally unsuitable to carry on with that work.

In his article explaining the workings of the Response Team Judge Caruana Colombo said “The acts of the investigation ... are to be kept in the secret Curial archives...” (Can. 1719). This rule of Canon Law binds to confidentiality all who are officially concerned in the conduct or review of such investigations, whether they are members of the Response Team or otherwise.

“Even the fact that a person is being, or has been, investigated is confidential. In this regard, the right of the victims of abuse to maximum privacy is a very important factor.”

However, the judge might want to follow up on recent events at the Vatican. Confidential files about an abuse case in the United States are to be released in an attempt to defend itself against accusations of a cover-up.

I cannot understand how despite its manifest mishandling of the child abuse cases the Response Team, which should have been renamed the Slow Reaction Team, has not been disbanded.

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The ‘must-have’ generation

Phew, what a relief, local ‘experts’ do not predict riots in Malta.

I know that news here is mild compared to what is happening everywhere else, but still! “There will never be the necessary passion for riot frenzy” was the quote in The Times that summed it up for me. What an indictment on Maltese youth.

So much is being said about what spurred the violence and looting in the UK and the media is having a field day. Everyone has a theory and quite a bit of fascism and worse has risen to the surface.

Of course, many of us say we believe in the right to oppose. It is when opposition is manifested in thuggery that some people overreact. I know that some of you would already be raising an eyebrow at my using the word “overreact”.

“Surely she is not condoning the violence”, I can hear some people say. I do not condone the criminal behaviour of those who committed arson, damaged property and helped themselves to Plasma TVs and other ‘must-have’ items.

Nevertheless, society has to accept that we are bombarded through our letterboxes and especially on television, which sits in every living room of even the poorest amongst us, with items that are expensive but that we ‘really should have’!

The young are the most susceptible to the constant marketing and since they are subjected to the regular mantra that they simply must have a Plasma TV, a Smart phone or Ipad and they cannot afford to buy them, the straw finally broke and they reacted in the way they did.

Of course, what they did was wrong and the fracas was appalling, but I will not join the “send them to Afghanistan” brigade.  Or, much worse, agree with atrocious vengeance like: “The cops should use Maltese fireworks (the serious rockets) at ground level and take out as many legs and kneecaps as possible and then leave the looters, arsonists, etc laying, bleeding in the gutters.”

The latter appeared in the comments section of the Malta Times online. The man proposing such extreme revenge also believes that thieves should have their hands cut off and liars their tongues cut out! Wow, the latter should leave some politicians, not to mention many others speechless.

The writer who must belong to the Maltese version of the Taliban said, “I received the cane in school with my pants down in front of the whole morning assembly.Very minor offences, I should mention. Did this make me a respectful and considerate adult? You bet it did!”

Well, that explains how the humiliation he was exposed to as a child has damaged his outlook on how to deal with wrongdoers. I am not sure how “considerate” fits in with his sadistic intentions, but I am no expert.

Interestingly, there was no trace of vengeance in the reactions of a father whose son was killed in the riots and whose words were praised by the police for doing more to quieten things down than the police could. Nor were any venomous words forthcoming from the young man whose possessions were stolen by rioters, who pretended to come to his aid as he bled from a broken jaw.

Another commentator’s advice was to reduce our streets to a war zone “The police had better gear up. A good stock of tear gas and 50, 000 volt Tasers to start with. And loaded guns are always a good idea. I personally believe the UK should be using tanks and snipers against them.” Now if you ask me, this person is a good candidate to volunteer to fight in Afghanistan where he could put his ideas into action.

The issue of the riots in the UK is complex. Sure, the fact that black youths are more likely to be targeted in ‘stop and search’ by the police is a factor. Besides, the current financial crisis and unemployment is another reason for discontent. Especially, since the current young generation have been brought up to believe that we can all live in the lap of luxury, surrounded by the latest in technology, driving fast cars and wearing designer garb.

But, the dynamic that sparked the UK riots goes deeper. The make up of the rioters cut across race, class and financial bracket. Why would employed young people, some professionals, 11-year-olds, the 19-year-old daughter of a company director who is currently at Exeter University and a 17-year-old ballerina want to pillage, as though their country was at war?

These people are not part of ‘gang culture’. So why did they do it? Is it the role models they see on music television stations?

The barely clad, foul mouthed youth who have made it despite their backgrounds and who seem to spread the message that “you can have everything you want, baby”.

Is it the lack of good parenting? Is it the violence they are exposed to daily on their television screens?

It is probably, a mix of all those things. Nevertheless, they cannot shift all the blame away from themselves.

(Apologies to those who already read this on my Facebook wall post on Friday, but I had to include the following). They could do with some straight talking, like that doled out by Michael A. Nutter (don’t be deceived by his surname) the Mayor of Philadelphia in the US, who after a recent spate of “flash mob” attacks by African-American youths had this to say, which applies across the board and not just to Afro-American youth:

“Take those God-darn hoodies down, especially in the summer. Pull your pants up and buy a belt ’cause no one wants to see your underwear or the crack of your butt.

“If you walk into somebody’s office with your hair uncombed and a pick in the back, and your shoes untied, and your pants half down, tattoos up and down your arms and on your neck, and you wonder why somebody won’t hire you? They don’t hire you ’cause you look like you’re crazy.”

Absentee fathers, (this also applies widely) got a lash of Nutter’s wit as well, “The Immaculate Conception of our Lord Jesus Christ took place a long time ago, and it didn’t happen here in Philadelphia. So every one of these kids has two parents who were around and participating at the time. They need to be around now.

“If you’re just hanging out, out there, maybe you’re sending them a check or bringing some cash by. That’s not being a father. You’re just a human ATM… And if you’re not providing the guidance and you’re not sending any money, you’re just a sperm donor.”

However, besides the misguided youth, possibly with absentee fathers, who went on the rampage, there were the usual opportunists - hardened criminals, violent thugs and mindless anarchists - who took advantage of the situation. And who, unfortunately, will be the ones most likely to slip through the net of the police backlash. Anyway, that is my reading of the situation. But, I am no expert.

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