Comillas presents a program to intervene in abuse cases

The rules and canon procedures are not the same ones as the ones established in Spanish criminal law and procedural law, and should to those actively involved in cases of sexual abuse within the Church. Few people are qualified to perform this intervention. That is the reason why the faculty of Canon Law at Comillas has just presented the Expert Diploma in Legal Operators in Canonical Criminal Proceedings.

Those in charge of the program consider it very important for the Church to respond in sexual abuse cases involving minors and adults in vulnerable situations. "From the perception of judges and ecclesiastical authorities, it is difficult to find people trained to actively participate in these canonical procedures and processes. We propose this serious and accessible training that makes it possible to prepare the operators who intervene in them appropriately: those responsible for creating a safe environment, office staff for the reception of complaints and attention to victims, instructors, lawyers, advisors, or judges", says Miguel Campo, head of the program.

Campo adds that “the Church has its own rules, Canon Law, which guide the response in justice and truth that victims and the community demand in the face of criminal acts of abuse” and adds that “knowing these rules, being able to inform the victims and aggressors, and being able to collaborate actively in this process are the objectives of the course”.

The Expert Diploma in Legal Operators in Canonical Criminal Proceedings will be taught in eight modules both in person and online, and will start in September 2023. It will last five months. Applications can be submitted until 8 September.

Among the lecturers will be Carlos Morán, dean of la Rota; Jesús Rodríguez Torrente, head of the Advisory Service for the Offices for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons of the Spanish Episcopal Conference; María José Díez, delegate for the Protection of Minors and Support for Victims of the Diocese of Astorga; Carlos López Segovia, Vice-Secretary for General Affairs of the Spanish Episcopal Conference; Montserrat Lafuente, member of the Service for the Coordination of Victim Assistance Offices of the Spanish Episcopal Conference; Antonio Die, from the tribunal of La Rota; and Jordi Bertomeu, member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. There will also be lecturers from Comillas, such as Concepción Molina, José Luis Sánchez Girón and Miguel Campo.