The fund of twenty million euros, essentially topped up by the French bishops to allow "
financial reparation
" for the victims of pedophile priests, has been ready since January 27, 2022. But a commission in charge of its distribution was presented on January 24, 2022. February, with a view to concretely dealing with the requests of victims, in the spirit of "
restorative justice
" which will not only be centered on financial compensation.
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Marie Derain de Vaucresson, a very experienced professional in juvenile justice, specializing in sexual violence suffered, has agreed to chair this Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation (INIRR), also funded by the episcopate.
It was she who presented in Paris, Thursday, the instructions for this structure.
Absolute confidentiality
People who, since 1950, have been victims of priests or lay people working for the Church, if they were still minors at the time of the events, can now apply directly to this structure, the INIRR.
Either via its website, now activated (https://www.inirr.fr) or by email (contact@inirr.fr).
Or via the website “Paroles de victims” of the episcopal conference of France paroledevictimes@cef.fr, which has existed since 2016. It is also possible for people to contact the bishopric of their jurisdiction.
In all cases, absolute confidentiality is guaranteed.
180 people have already come forward on the first day of the site's opening, observed Marie Derain de Vaucresson.
The site "victims' words" would have listed
"a thousand"
victim statements between 2016 and October 5, 2021, the day of publication of the report of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE).
And
“202”
people since.
This would bring the number of potential repair request files to
“1,200”
people for the moment.
For its part, Ciase, despite its
very controversial
“estimate” of “
330,000”
victims, counted “2,819” letters and emails from victimized people.
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An annual report on INIRR's activity will, however, give an exact idea of the number of files that will have been listed in 2022 and in the years to come, even if many victims will never declare themselves, so as not to stir up this past.
"Monetizing the horror is inaudible for some victims"
The INIRR will in principle welcome all requests but it will first of all be attentive, “
for the sake of fairness
” insisted Marie Derain, to victims who have not been able to receive anything from civil justice.
Either because the facts are prescribed.
Either because the aggressor is deceased.
It will therefore be asked to people whose file is being processed by the civil justice to wait until the latter has made a final decision, before opening a possible file at the INIRR.
This specialist in "
restorative justice
" also explains that the financial aspect of this action is "
one of the springs that can help the person to rebuild
", but that it is "
far from being the only one
".
A lot of'
other actions are considered.
"
Everything will be based,
she notes,
on listening to the person and their particular request.
For the time being, the INIRR refuses to specify an average financial compensation, even if a procedure of analysis and evaluation of the damage suffered is planned, with an ad hoc scale.
In the meantime, only half of the 180 requests already received require financial compensation.
Marie Derain de Vaucresson notes: "
monetizing the horror is inaudible for some victims
".
If some only ask for a symbolic euro, others claim up to several tens of thousands of euros to reimburse, for example, a psychoanalytic follow-up of several decades.
Finally, others assured that they would donate what they received to humanitarian or charitable associations.
The INIRR also refuses to speak
of "
financial compensation
”.
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As for the scale, a draft was expressed on February 24: it evoked ranges ranging from "
from 1000 to 3000 euros
" and "
from 3000 to 5000 euros
", but nothing has yet been decided, it seems.
Again, we will have to wait for the first annual report of the INIRR to know this average, because each file will be evaluated, “
case by case
” and a “
maximum ceiling
” will soon be fixed.
"Listen, Recognize, Repair"
How will INIRR deal with the requests it receives?
Three verbs describe this journey: “
listen, recognize, repair
”.
Marie Derain de Vaucresson affirms: “
We will listen to each person, without judgement, to identify what they have experienced, identify the faults and shortcomings of those responsible, and see with them the consequences
”.
Then it will be a question of “
recognizing
” who is responsible and how this responsibility can be clearly expressed.
For example through mediation with a bishop, or through “
financial reparation
”.
A first team of psychologists, mediators and lawyers is ready for this first stage of listening.
Once this analysis has been completed, the file will go to a “
college of experts
”.
It is in the process of being set up and the names of the twelve members, doctors, psychiatrists, magistrates and lawyers will soon be known.
This college of experts will assess the facts.
He will check their "
likelihood
", without however carrying out any additional investigation.
And without necessarily asking someone whose file is already known in the diocese to recount the tragedy she experienced.
Read alsoThe questions raised by the compensation of victims of pedophile priests
Once this verification has been established, the college of experts will decide on the nature and modality of the “
repair
” according to a “
hyper-individualised” approach, as opposed to systematic or administrative processing,
” assures Marie Derain de Vaucresson.
“
The goal is for the victims to manage to overcome their tragedy because we are not victims for life, we have to get out of that.
This I learned from the victims themselves.
»
Help the "
authors
"
A final piece of information, paradoxical, appeared during the press conference: It would appear that the fund dedicated by the conference of bishops, entitled Selam: "Fund for solidarity and the fight against sexual assault on minors" also plans to help “
perpetrators
” of sexual assaults… Namely pedophile priests.
This had never before been expressed by the Conference of Bishops and which does not appear on the website of this fund www.fonds-selam.fr where only aid for victims is mentioned.
“
Is it shocking that a fund dedicated to victims also devotes money to perpetrators?
asks Marie Derain de Vaucresson.
We cannot advance society in its approach to these subjects and contribute to the prevention of sexual violence without systematically dealing with the perpetrators
, reminded this specialist.
I say this for children but also for violence against women.
This is something that took some time to enter into the minds of public decision-makers but also activists.
But it's very coherent to approach it like that.
»
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