 |
| Lawrence Grech |
When Pope Benedict was in Malta many foreign stations were asking Lawrence Grech for an interview. He told me that as a result he was not keeping up with his work as a self-employed cleaner and asked if I could seek financial compensatation for him from foreign stations wishing to interview him.
So let us be clear: it was Lawrence Grech who wanted compensation.
I was reluctant to do it because I knew that this is just not done. But alas, I allowed my emotions and loyalty to Lawrence Grech and the other victims to have the better of me. When the Manchester BBC asked for an interview I told them of Lawrence Grech's financial predicament and gently asked whether they would consider compensating him for the hours he was missing from work. They came back and cordially said that this was against their policy. And I never made the request to any other station again.
To protect Lawrence Grech from the potential attack that he was after money, we agreed that the public line on the issue should be that he asked for compensation from the BBC to brush them off. With hindsight I realise that again I had allowed my loyalty to Lawrence Grech and the other victims to cloud my judgement. I should just have refused to do what he wanted.
But today Lawrence Grech did something much worse than tell a third lie. He insinuated that I might have negotiated with the BBC for money behind his back so I would keep it for myself.
This insinuation is not just a lie but a gross violation of basic human decency. This is not just lack of gratitude. It amounts to cruelty.
I have been around the block a few times in the last couple of decades. But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared me for this.
23 comments:
I think you are experiencing a horrible divorce :)In general maltese are not loyal to an individual who helped them so much, like how you did. Even if you asked for compensation, it was your right to do so. As we do not live out of air only and it's your profession. Mind you I am not your fan :)and I tend to disagree with alot of things that you say.
@ Spirit - thanks for your vote of confidence. However, the thought of making money from sexual abuse horrifies me. It did it all for free because I wanted to and because it was the principled thing to do.
The following two comments on this post came in through facebook:
Ramon Micallef: dan Lawrence Grech jaf x'jigifieri rispett u aprezzament jew le? - qed jidhluli hafna dubji fl-ahhar granet. Jiena nghid...le dan il-bniedem lest li jkompli jigdeb u jivvinta biex jiehu tieghu min fu, ahseb u ara kemm gideb u vvinta fix xhieda tieghu fil-qorti !!
Maruska Agius: fil-bidu hafna tpacpic vojt li dak li ghamel ma kienx ghall fus... u issa l-kumpens li qed jitlob juri bic-car li hu mod iehor... plus hekk qed izeffen fin-nofs lilek Lou... li mill-bidu nett kont l-aktar holqa mportanti fil-katina ta Lawrence biex jasal jiehu dak li haqqu!!!
Another facebook comments:
Brian Bonnici: nifhem it-trawma li ghaddew minnha u nuri solidarjeta u rispett lejhom u l-aktar lejn dawk li ghadhom ibatu fis-skiet. Il-hazin jibqa' hazin jigi min fejn jigi anke jekk gej min-nies mill-aktar istituzzjoni li nemmen fiha.Bhala nisrani nikkundanna lil dawk li mxew hazin meta suppost kienu r-rapprezentanti ta' Kristu. Imma issa qed jidher bic-car x'kienet l-intenzjoni ewlenija ta' Grech. Il-knisja weghdet l-ghajnuna u se thallas ukoll nies esperti biex dan isir u biex il-vittmi jghixu ftit ahjar u johorgu mit-trawma....imma issa dawn donnhom qed juru li l-aktar li jinteressahom huma l-flus....Tghid jaccettaw somma flus biex biha jiggieldu l-pedofelija....jew biex jghinu lil xi istituzjoni tat-tfal li jinsabu fil+posizzjoni li kieku huma fi tfulithom...jew inkella jippreferu dawn il-flus fil-but u fil-kontijiet tal-banek ? Barra minn hekk nistaqsi...kemm verament huma grati lejn dawk s-sacerdoti twajba (mhux il-pedofeli) li kabbruhom u tawhom ftit imhabba u ghajxien fosthom ikel u saqaf? bhalma jghidu fid-dinja kollox money, money,money. gustizzja ma dawn il-vitmi iva, xierqa u misthoqqa basta ma jkunx hemm skopijiet ohra
The more Mr Grech blabs on the media, the more evident his scheming and manipulative nature becomes.
You did well to offer your services for free out of principle, because that is how it should be with some cases.
No one can possibly doubt the honesty of YOUR intentions in this case, not now, anyway.
It seems like Lawrence may not be so honest after all. Despite having said this I do believe he deserves financial compensation (and a lot of it, so that it may deter those who are into the habit of harboring dangerous perverts and pedophiles), but he better not be lying about the sexual abuse he claimed he suffered.
I believe that people who falsely accused others of sexual abuse have only place left for them in the world - jail.
This only shows how careful we have to be before sticking out our necks for someone, because at the end of the day that someone could be a real jerk.
Good luck Bondi.
dan Lawrence qatt ma daqqli... jiddispjacini li ghadda minn dak li ghadda minnu... imma malli bdew isemmu l-flus, tilfu l-qaleb u l-gbejna!
I wonder whether this Lawrence chappy is looking beyond mere compensation.
Does he have political aspirations?
Why did he want to hide the fact he was asking for money from BBC?
Why did he claim he was not looking for financial compensation yet he is now doing exactly that?
I mean, how much of what he says is the truth? One has to wonder about the entire saga.
Without Mr Boni to guide him, Lawrence is a loose cannon. Time will show us just who he is.
It's such a pity that Lawrence Grech's true colours, and scheming are emerging after judgements were delivered. Although a lot of harm has been done to priests and their families, it's never too late for the truth to finally come out!!! Good luck Lou, and pray to God that he does not try to do to you what he has done to the priests! Maybe this is also a time where you and other colleagues in the media sector realise how important it is to exercise ethics, professionalism, and decency when practicing your profession rather than rely on sensationalism in order to sell your stories.
Good luck
LAP
Uriah Heep, the grasping and manipulative fictional character in Charles Dickens's "David Copperfield" comes in mind when seeing that picture.
jien ghalhekk dejjem nghid li qorti ta`triq tkun accana ghal xi informazzjoni biex forsi fl-ahhar u nispera li tasal ghal xi konkluzjoni ghax jidder li kull gurnata dan il-kaz tohrog xi haga gdid, lou il-qorti ta`triq tidder li accana ghal xi programm minn din skeda , ghalmenu hekk qed niehu l-oppinjoni minn dak li qed naqra fil-blog tieghek. inselliemlek habib u ghalkemm forsi mhux dejjem qbilna fuq dan il-kaz f`dinja nghid li nikbru u nitaghllmu.
What I cannot understand is why would Laurence lie to you. Do you have any idea?
The comments written here that are questioning the veracity of the abuse cases are ignorant and misninformed.
So if according to these people the abuse never took place, then what did the social worker who testified in the case see when he said that he saw one of the priests with his willy al fresco in front of the boy? A aged banana perhaps?
And what about the other man who is claiming to be abused by the same priest in Canada? Is he also part of a grand scheme to discredit the local church? The issue between Mr Grech and Mr Bondi have nothing to do with the now proven facts that YES people were abused by priests in the past. Please face the facts
Reading between the lines, you are more hurt than you say. You start questioning yourself when to have faith in human nature. I am sorry for you. I know how it feels, so you are not alone. If you can learn a lesson from it, then see the positive side. When journalism embarks on crusades, someone finally gets hurt, not excluding the journalist ! (J.Brincat- LL.D )
well done had no idea that WE are producing programmes for RAI as well..I definately saw Mr Grech a few years back on an Italian channel relating his experience so unless the programme was produced by WE... I suppose that's another lie!
@ Dr Joe Brincat - I thank you for your comment, your kindness and your expression of solidarity. I will never forget it.
I don't want to sound like a Monday morning quarterback, but is it possible that after 8 years of dealing with this man you never had a glimpse of his true colours?
I don't believe you can be so naive. I'd rather not consider alternative hypotheses.
Lawrence Grech is sounding more and more catty, although, to be fair, one must bear in mind that his outbursts are reaching us through MaltaToday which can hardly be trusted to give an honest picture.
No other paper or news website has published any statement by Lawrence Grech and I rather suspect he is being set up by Saviour Balzan.
Miniex xi wiehed li nisimpatizza hafna il knisja, izda dejjem kelli dik in naqa "cold feeling" lejn l'atitudni ta Lawrence, qatt ma ikonvincini.. Dejjem hsibt li dan mhux gustizja ried, izda kempens finanzjaru. Miniex ser nidhol jekk hux sew jew le il kumpens, imma li zgur hu li vera miss il qieh meta dahhal lilek (Lou) tisfen fin nofs u prova jhamgek wara snin twal ta serviz, u devozjoni lejn il kawza tieghu/tahhom. Miniex xi fan kbir ta Lou Bondi, izda dejjem rajt li hu persuna koretta, u lghagir ta Lawrence ghalija hu kundannabli !
Isthi Lawrence..
A.P.
lou,ma nafx ghalfejn qieghed titkellem hekk
lawrence grech
Lou, is it possible Lawrence Grech lied under oath throughout the trial? People don't start lying in one episode in their lives. People that habitually lie have a history of lying, and that starts from a very young age.
By lying about you he has done a lot of harm to himself. He lost all the credibility that he garnered throughout the trial.
In time he will fabricate untruths about this lawyer too. especially if he doesn't get a cent.
I am sorry he is doing grave injustice to you. An ungrateful boy who never grew up.
Lou, i never liked this drama of Lawrence since it came out in public the first time say seven years ago.When the drama broke up, I'm not sure if it was on your programme or peppi's he was interviewed, and i did not like what he said and I will say why.
When he left St Joseph home, he still kept contact with the priest. He got married and the priest that abused him married them. The priest baptised their children. he went to Australia and kept contact with the priest. He came back which I see very funny and went back to St Joseph home organising parties to the boys at home. On the programme we saw him dressed in carnival clothes, entertaining the boys and others.To me this sound very funny, because if I was really abused from somebody I will never go back to him .He went to Australia and he should have stayed there with his family ,if he really was abused he should have stayed away from fire.He came back with intention to sue the priest for money, because while in Australia,there were stories like this and the abused were being compensated. Lawrence grow up this is all drama,all this drama is for money and if you want money you should have stayed in Australia more opportunities.
Even Karl Stagno Navarra and the rag Malta Today got bitten. Read all about it here:
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=133065
Post a Comment