The parliamentary committee of inquiry into sexual abuse in the Church started on Friday. Priest Rik Devillé was the first to speak and read, among other things, two letters from victims. “These are veterans who we do not respect in our society,” he said. Marc Dewit, from the organization Human Rights in the Church, was even sharper. “The Church today uses their money for their lawyers instead of supporting the victims.”
WATCH LIVE. The investigation committee starts today: Rik Devillé is the first to speak
Last Monday, the committee members had already met the four experts, two Dutch and two French speakers, who will assist the committee. This concerns two legal advisors and two experts in victim guidance. In addition, there was also consultation with the victim support service and the federal ombudsman.
With the help of the federal ombudsman, the committee will call on victims who want to testify. “It concerns victims, so we have to think carefully about how we deal with this issue and how we formulate the call,” De Wit explains. “That text must be correct, and every word counts.” De Wit hopes to launch the call as soon as possible.
In concrete terms, there will be some kind of reporting point at the federal ombudsman service. “Initially, victims will be able to tell their story in writing, and they will also be able to indicate whether they want to be heard, behind closed doors or not,” says De Wit.
“We may not be able to hear everyone: we will have to work with the services to see who we can invite. After all, our time is limited and we have a lot to investigate. We know that the expectations of the victims are high, and we will try to deal with them in a good way.” The committee had previously agreed to start with the hatch around the victims.
Godforsaken
After the VRT documentary series ‘Godforgotten’ and a plea from priest Rik Devillé, all Dutch-speaking factions in the House quickly agreed on the need for a new committee on the theme of sexual abuse in the church. After the special committee from 2010, this time a full-fledged investigative committee has been chosen that wants to put the victims first. The committee consists of 13 members and would have until the end of March 2024 to formulate recommendations.
WATCH ALSO. A third more calls after ‘Forgotten God’: “Very grateful for testimonies, they give a face to the concepts of ‘violence’ and ‘abuse’”
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