Anyone with a complaint of sexual abuse or a boundary violation against a member of the Society is invited to contact the New Zealand Church’s National Office for Professional Standards:
- phone: 0800 114 622
- email: prof.standards@nzcbc.org.nz
- website: https://safeguarding.catholic.org.nz/
If you want to contact the Society directly about a complaint, you are welcome to call Rebecca on 021 909 749. Please leave a message and your phone contact if the phone is unattended.
Complainants always have the option of taking their complaint directly to the Police.
The National Office for Professional Standards follows the Catholic Church’s victim-focused process known as “A Path to Healing – Te Houhanga Rongo”.
The Society of Mary’s pastoral companion for any complainant wanting supportive contact while their complaint is underway is Ms Rebecca McKinley. Rebecca can be contacted on 021 909 749.
In brief, the complaint process is:
- A complaint is received by the National Office for Professional Standards (NOPS).
- An initial assessment of the complaint is made.
- Sometimes a complainant may not want to involve the police; however, if the offending is of a criminal nature, the person will be encouraged to go to the police and given assistance to do so.
- NOPS will inform the head of the Society of Mary in New Zealand (the Provincial).
- The Provincial then directs the accused to step aside from ministry during the investigation.
- An independent investigator is appointed to look into the complaint, interview the complainant and the accused, review relevant information, and report to the Complaints Assessment Committee.
- The Complaints Assessment Committee will make a decision about the complaint based on the report of the investigator.
- The Complaints Assessment Committee will inform the Provincial of their decision, and, if upheld, recommend to him ways to help the complainant, and appropriate restrictions for the accused.
- If an apology is recommended, it is the Provincial who provides it.
Sometimes the offence might be too historic for the police to act, or the Marist priest or brother may have died, or there is not sufficient evidence to support a formal court case.
In cases where the police cannot prosecute or when people choose not to involve the police, a decision can still be reached by the Complaints Assessment Committee and recommendations made to the appropriate church authority.
For some, being heard, believed, and having their hurt acknowledged can be sufficiently healing.
In cases where the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, they can apply to the National Office for Professional Standards and a suitably qualified independent person will be appointed to conduct a review of process.
The Catholic Church’s National Office for Professional Standards published a series of documents, which, along with “A Path to Healing”, outline a framework of principles, policies and procedures that ensure all Church ministry is undertaken in a safe environment and where pastoral practice always includes a concern for ‘best practice’. These documents can be found on the National Office for Professional Standards website.