Vatican tried to silence me, says abuse victim

AN OUTSPOKEN British member of a papal advisory commission on sex abuse last night demanded a meeting with Pope Francis over what he says is a Vatican attempt to silence him.

The Vatican press office announced on Saturday that Peter Saunders, head of Britain’s National Association for People Abused in Childhood, had been asked to take a leave of absence from the commission he had been invited to join by Pope Francis in 2014. It was established to lay down “best practices” for tackling sex abuse in the church.

One of only two people on the 17strong panel of lay people and clerics to have suffered abuse by priests as a child, Mr Saunders’s inclusion on the commission lent it credibility. He said yesterday that despite an almost unanimous vote of no-confidence against him, he would consider himself a member of the commission until the pontiff, who hand-picked him for the role, told him otherwise.

“It was suggested I take some time out to consider my options,” he said. “But I said the only one who can dismiss me is the man who appointed me, and so I have requested a meeting with the Pope.” Mr Saunders plans to return to Britain while awaiting a response.

He has received dozens of emails of support, as well as warnings from observers suggesting he watch his back. Survivor support groups which track sexual abuse by clergy spoke out in his defence. Anne Barrett Doyle, co-found- er of BishopAccountability.org said: “The apparent attempt by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors to eject an outspoken survivor raises serious doubts about its integrity and independence.”

Over the past six months, Mr Saunders had been increasingly vocal in his criticism of the commission’s bureaucracy and concern with debating canonical rules at the expense of faster progress on child protection.

Mr Saunders said he had recently been pressing inside the commission for more transparency and to act in individual cases. A commission member was reported as saying that the group was “deeply committed to the protection of children” but that its objective was to advise not investigate.