By James Parker
The Archdiocese of Perth is setting the pace when it comes to developing new ways to repair the damage caused by child abuse.
In recent years, no other topic has saturated the life and mission of the Catholic Church in Australia like childhood sexual abuse.
In comparison to other dioceses, the Archdiocese of Perth stands out as the national leader as it embraces an in-depth program of prevention to safeguard and protect children from any possible further abuse.
In 2014, Archbishop Costelloe shared his desire to see parishes become the safest places for children and, several months later, appointed serving senior police officer and child protection expert Andrea Musulin to be the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Project Coordinator.
Within less than a year, an Archdiocesan-wide launch took place which would see parish communities embracing a united vision on the safety and protection of children.
“Child sexual abuse is a terrible problem, and it simply has to be dealt with,” said Archbishop Costelloe at the official launch of the Safeguarding Project.
“We cannot sit back and do nothing,” he stated, aware that it was likely to be many months before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse would finally deliver its list of recommendations.
Speaking of progress to date, Ms Musulin expressed delight at the Archdiocese’s response to the Safeguarding Project. “The launch was received very well, better than expected,” she said.
“Within a matter of months, we now have around 70 per cent of parishes with nominated Safeguarding Officers.
“The calibre of those applying was very high, with nominees having experience in policing, child protection, disability, family courts and many other areas, such that we can now tap into a wide range of expertise and professionalism to ensure we have the best educated and informed safeguarding officers possible.
“It is very, very encouraging, especially as this means that the Archdiocese will not only have experienced officers within the parishes, but also the widest range of expertise.
“In some of the larger parishes, there was a very high number of nominations put forward for the positions on offer. They have requested having more than two officers, which means more hands to the deck. In the long run, this is only a good thing.
“We are now busy identifying the most appropriate people to take up the volunteer role of safeguarding officer in the remaining 30 per cent of parishes.”
Originally employed for two days a week, Ms Musulin now works full time on safeguarding, and is supported by a part-time administrator, such is the urgency and importance of the operation at hand.
Ms Musulin’s priority to date has been to oversee the training of nearly 200 safeguarding officers. She has taken time to speak at Masses in over a tenth of the parishes. Another training workshop for officers will take place at St Mary’s Cathedral in March.
But, is change really happening at grassroots?
“The single, most effective strategy we’ve applied is education and trying to change the culture of the people who attend churches,” Ms Musulin went on to say. “We are giving people knowledge, and are delivering this in an open and transparent way.”
Visibility is also key to ensuring the entire practising Catholic community can play its role in upholding the safety of children. Many parishes now have officers visibly present among them, identifiable either by a special safeguarding vest or bright pink badge.
“This allows them to be easily recognised by other parishioners and offers parents a rightful sense of security. It also acts as a strong and notable deterrent to anybody who might consider hanging around our churches to prey on children.”
The office is a torrent of energy, underlaid with a spirit of determination. Clearly, no one is sitting back, and hundreds of Catholics are now deeply engaged. The Archbishop’s promise of change is being rolled out.
From page 14 and 15 from Issue 1: ‘The Year of Mercy: Seeking an Encounter with Christ’ of The Record Magazine