Yesterday I took a decision which I had been mulling over for some time.
After 8 years helping the 10 victims of sexual abuse at St Joseph Home I am stepping aside. Below is an email I sent to their lawyer Dr Patrick Valentino and two of the victims, Lawrence Grech and Joseph Magro.
I am publishing it to avoid any misunderstandings or harm to their cause from this point onwards.
From: "Lou Bondi" <lou@we.com.mt>
Date: 24 September 2011 18:45:21 CEST
Gheziez Patrick, Lawrence u Joseph,
Illum irriflettejt iktar fuq jekk ghandix nibqa' inkun involut fil-kaz taghkom issa li inqatghet is-sentenza fil-qrati. Wasalt ghall-konkluzjoni li ma' nibqax ghal dawn ir-ragunijiet:
1. L-involviment tieghi beda 8 snin ilu fil-kcina ta' dari. Minn hemm, bil-galbu u bil-ghaqal ftahna l-bibien kollha, inkluz dak tal-Papa. Is-sehem tieghi tajtu bi pjacir ghaliex emmint fil-kawza u ridt li ssir gustizzja. Illum dik il-gustizzja saret.
2. L-impenn legali prezenti ghal kumpens finanzjarju huwa validu u nispera li jintemm b'success. Imma ma' jaghmilx parti minn dak li hdimt ghalih maghkhom fl-ahhar 8 snin u ghalhekk ma' narax rwol ghalija fih.
3. Assolutament ma' naqbilx ma' l-azzjonijiet u d-dikjarazzjonijiet li saru fil-konfront tal-Knisja u l-Arcisqof Pawl Cremona fl-ahhar granet. Dan il-hsieb ghamiltu car mill-bidu imma sfortunatament il-parir tieghi ma' ittehidtx.
Qed niktbilkom illum ghaliex id-decizjoni tieghi se naghmilha pubblika u hassejt l-obbligu li ninfurmakhom minn qabel.
Serhu raskhom li minn ghandi gid se tibqghu taraw, kif rajtu dejjem fil-passat. Nawguralkom li dan il-kapitlu gdid li ftahtu taghlquh b'success kif inghalaq ta' qablu.
Tislijiet,
Lou
7 comments:
Lou, well done for helping these people, and well done for stepping aside at the right time.
Reminds me of the film The Titanic and seeing all those rats abodining the ship
@ Silvio - That is a very unfair, almost perverse, representation of what I actually wrote in my email.
HEKK IKUNU L=IRGIEL!!
From my point of view, the victims won the battle but they are going to lose the war. The reason behind this statement is namely because in Malta, like in every other country, the media plays a very important role in such cases. Moreover, it is clear that the victims are losing ground vs the church. The way the victims played their cards in the past days is wrong. I am sure that, and it is evident that they opted to ignore the legal advice given by their most respected legal adviser and their Pro. PR and Media advisor. To add insult to injury they opted to move toward the compensation path straight away after the First Court judgment was pronounced rather than wait for the court of appeal. The latter would have reinforced their case. The general public might be asking “was this aimed toward the safeguard of future victims or toward the financial aspect”. At this point one might find himself in a predicament trying to understand the real aim behind such lawsuit. I personally still sympathize with the victims, and will keep following their case with a magnifying lens, but they should follow the advice of their consultants and deviate from a quick win.
I think you did the right thing Mr Bondi.The abuse was uncovered thanks to your journalistic capabilities.The abusers have been sentenced.Apologies from church and Pope were made and the professional services that will help the victims get on with their lives and heal their psychological scarring has been offered by the church. Their original demands have been met with. If they now have other claims to make, its between them and their lawyer and the church.
Well done Mr Bondi for your sterling work.
Given the nature of the crime suffered by these victims, I think that asking for compensation is beyond the pale.
Theirs is not a plight that money can fix. My gut feeling is that their endeavour is now showing its true colours. I get the impression that they want to hit the Church where (they think) it hurts. I won't go into the Church's "potential" for paying up or not. It's beside the point.
I can understand their frustration at having their adolescent years scarred by the abonimable behaviour of those so-called priests, but I think that they have now reached a point where they cannot tell justice from revenge.
Much is being made of these 8 men's tragic pubescence, but let us keep things in perspective. Why doesn't anyone mention the innumerable cases of child abuse by the parents?
I think that, strategic and tactical considerations aside, you left at the right point. You will not be associated with these 8 men's quest for revenge.
Post a Comment