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Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010
Week of May 20, 2002
Inquiry sought into handling of abuse complaints
By Canadian Catholic News
Ottawa
The clergy sexual abuse scandal in the U.S. is putting pressure on Canadian bishops to ensure abuser-priests are not "recycled" back into ministry.
David Gagnon, national director of SNAP (Survivors of Network of those Abused by Priests) - Canada, presented a list of demands to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops May 9 and spoke to reporters.
He called for a public inquiry into clergy sexual abuse and said the Canadian bishops should hand over to Crown prosecutors all personnel files of priests alleged to have abused.
He said bishops should release survivors from confidentiality orders and "stop all hardball tactics that keep survivors trapped in secrecy, silence and shame."
Gagnon - who said he was sexually abused by his parish priest as a teenager - also said SNAP is demanding the Church "stop recycling priests who have been charged, convicted and jailed for sexual abuse."
Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, CCCB general secretary, said the list of demands would be turned over to the conference president.
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