Belgian priest seeks justice for sexual abuse victims
Since the airing of a shocking documentary about abuse in the Belgian Catholic church that has awakened buried trauma, former priest Rick Deville has been overwhelmed by heartbreaking stories.
One of the victims, an 86-year-old man, called Deville in tears from his car, where he was trapped. He finally told someone about the horrific abuse he had suffered, something even those closest to him didn't know about.
DeVille dedicated her life to providing support to victims of sexual abuse in the church, carefully reading each victim's story and answering many calls.
“Almost every day, new people confide in me for the first time what they've been through,” the 79-year-old told AFP from his home in Gameraage, central Belgium.
Deville, who served as parish priest from 1969 to 2009, never shied away from controversy during his time as a priest.
In 1992, he published a scathing book about the omnipotence of the Vatican entitled “The Last Dictatorship,'' which also inspired a number of people to come forward with stories about criminal activities covered up by the Catholic Church in Belgium. encouraged ten people.
Approximately 30 years have passed since then, and he is back in the spotlight after appearing in a documentary.
About 20 victims, mostly men who were abused as children in church facilities, spoke on camera about the rapes and assaults they suffered and the long-term effects of the horrors they faced.
This documentary has given courage to other victims to come forward.
“We thought 1,400 complaints (over 30 years) was already a lot, but we're also seeing an increase in new complaints,” DeVille said.
– Lost hope –
The strong emotions aroused by “Forgotten by God,” broadcast on Flemish VRT channels, prompted the Bundestag to set up an investigative commission.
Justice for sexual abuse crimes is difficult to obtain because victims often come forward after the statute of limitations has passed or the perpetrator has died.
Deville, who is a key witness for the parliamentary committee, hopes that the focus on past crimes will prompt the church to recognize the “culture of abuse” it has developed over the years in Belgium.
Although the confession acknowledges the victim's suffering, Deville is not hopeful.
“I've lost some faith in church leaders. I can no longer trust them to do anything to change the situation,” he said.
Since the documentary, the Belgian bishops and the federal prosecutor's office have strongly denied that they failed to provide support to the victims.
The Belgian Bishops' Conference, which represents the clergy, pointed to actions taken in 2012 following a scandal involving its own bishops.
It has launched a “contact point” designed to make it easier to report abuse.
Fifty new complaints were received between July 2022 and June 2023, with some victims receiving between 2,500 and 25,000 euros ($2,700 and $27,000) depending on the severity of their complaints.
The conference claimed that seven cases were reported to prosecutors because it was unclear whether the perpetrators were “still alive and could pose a danger.”
Mr. Deville refused to pay compensation.
He added: “Financial reparations are really a symbolic gesture to say, 'Shut up, we've got the money.'”
Source: guardian.ng