Vatican abuse commission member: US response cannot be imposed on rest of world

March 26, 2014

The Church’s response to the sexual abuse of minors must take into account the varied cultures of different nations, a member of the new Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said in an interview with John Allen of the Boston Globe.

“I find there’s a common mistake in a lot of American statements in presupposing that the American legal system applies in all parts of the world, which simply isn’t true,” said Father Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit who serves as chairman of the steering committee of the Center for Child Protection of the Institute of Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

“To take an example, I read again and again in a lot of American commentary that there should be an absolute duty to report charges of abuse to the police,” he continued. “The fact is, that requirement doesn’t exist in more than half the countries of the world, and there can be good reasons why not. In Germany, the former Minister of Justice suggested such a requirement and was opposed by both victims of abuse as well as organizations of psychotherapists, who were concerned not only about protecting confidentiality but also the risk of re-traumatization. We have to listen to what the victims think, rather than imposing our solutions.”

Father Zollner added that “from my point of view, it’s clear that this commission is not a legislative body and won’t take away authority from any existing Vatican department. It’s meant to assist the work of the Holy See and to foster discussions in various parts of the world.”

 

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Further information:

• Member of Vatican abuse commission says ‘put victims first’ (Boston Globe)
• Pope Francis institutes Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (CWN, 3/24)