"It's not enough to establish diocesan help desks to think that victims have been protected. They must be supported and compensated, especially in light of the recent investigation conducted by the association La Rete L'Abuso into these help desks, which highlights the poor results achieved by diocesan initiatives. Nor is it a guarantee to rely on "trained and competent professionals" when priests reported to the help desks, or convicted by the Italian justice system, are not removed from prison but are even reinstated after their imprisonment, inevitably returning to contact with minors. We also see cases like these in Sardinia."

This is what Francesco Zanardi, spokesperson for the association of victims of the clergy, wrote in an open letter to the Regional Council of Sardinia. The intervention comes amidst the controversy sparked by a statement from the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI) of Sardinia, which, in recent days, had slammed as "false and disconcerting" the data on abuse in the Church released by the Sardinian Ombudsman for Children and Adolescents, Carla Puligheddu . These figures—known since January—were based on research by the L'Abuso network. Zanardi, among other things, is the "representative" of the Italian victims who facilitated the first meeting between victims of the clergy in Italy and the Italian Episcopal Conference, held at the CEI headquarters in Rome with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi in May 2023.

"I draw inspiration from the important incident recently involving the Regional Ombudsman for Children and Adolescents, Carla Puligheddu, the President of the Regional Council, Piero Comandini (who had distanced himself from Puligheddu, who was a guest at the assembly), and the Sardinian Episcopal Conference, represented by its President, Monsignor Antonello Mura," Zanardi writes, "to share some considerations with the recipients of this letter. Last January, the Ombudsman formally invited the CES to actively collaborate with the Italian judiciary to ensure the protection of victims of sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy."

After forty-eight days, the Episcopal Conference "responded, contesting the accuracy of the data, deeming it unfounded. However, the data cited by the Guarantor are from surveys conducted by my association over the years and published online on October 24, 2025."

Zanardi then delves into the Sardinian situation: "I also informed the Guarantor of two cases of abuse that occurred in Sardinia, which, at this time, have not been addressed: in one case, the victim does not yet feel ready to file a complaint with the judiciary, while in the other, the offense has expired under Italian law. Faced with concrete situations like these, one wonders what protective action 'trained and competent professionals' would recommend. It is clear that the position taken by the Sardinian regional council, in line with the criticisms expressed by the CES, towards Sardinian survivors, their families, and the Guarantor itself, has seriously ignored the reality of the facts and figures, preventing institutions (civil and ecclesiastical) from promoting adequate protective interventions."

(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)

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