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Altar servers' leaders in S'pore parish quit over handling of alleged inappropriate behaviour
The resignations make up a third of the 30 or so active members of the society.PHOTO: UNSPLASH
David Sun and Natalie Tan
SINGAPORE - The Catholic Church here has confirmed that it investigated allegations of inappropriate behaviour between a former altar server and several younger altar servers who were aged between 11 and 16.
While the findings of the investigation were inconclusive, the altar server facing the allegations resigned from his role last year, and is now receiving professional counselling on the premises of the parish, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore told The Straits Times.
In the past two weeks, about 10 members of the altar servers' society at the parish, including its chairman, president and secretary, as well as some junior members, submitted their resignations to the parish priest in relation to this incident.
An altar server is a member of the lay community who assists the priest at the altar.
Most altar servers are young boys, with several older people acting as their leaders.
The resignations make up a third of the 30 or so active members of the society.
One of those who quit told ST that the resignations of the leaders were due to what was seen as a lack of action by the parish priest, and concerns that a police report has not been made.
ST understands that, so far, no police reports have been made by the parties involved.
The inappropriate behaviour allegedly took place from 2013 till 2019.
The core team of the society, consisting of its leaders, alerted the Professional Standards Office (PSO) of the archdiocese and the parish priest last year after they saw a video on social media which showed the man in the same bed with a young server in a hotel room in 2019.
The PSO was set up in 2011 to deal with sexual abuse against children and young people. The archdiocese spokesman said the office handles only complaints involving clerics.
"All other sexual complaints involving lay personnel are handled at the parish or organisation level," he said.
"However, the PSO advises and maintains oversight of the investigations to ensure that proper protocols and processes are adhered to. Hence, in this instance, it was proper that the investigations were undertaken at the parish level."
He also said that the parish priest led the investigation with the assistant parish priest and another person with legal training, and that the findings, which were inconclusive, were not made unilaterally but by a committee.
"Under the archdiocese's conflict resolution process, if any party is not satisfied with the outcome of a decision at the parish level, the party may bring it up to the vicar-general," he said, referring to the No. 2 in the Singapore archdiocese.
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In his response to ST, the spokesman also said: "The person in question was actually told at the outset to take a leave of absence while investigations were under way and not to have any contact with the group.
"Subsequently, he tendered his resignation (as an altar server) and this was accepted by the parish priest."
The man facing the allegations is still allowed to attend services at the parish.
The spokesman added that the parents of the parties involved were told they could make a police report.
"We have been informed by the parish priest that at no point in time did he discourage the parents not to make a police report," he said.
"In fact the parents were repeatedly invited to make a police report."
He said that on Feb 6 last year, during a meeting with members of the parish, the parents of the complainants were told they could and may wish to consider making a police report.
When the parents were informed of the outcome of the investigation in writing over a week later on Feb 17, they were again told that they had the right to make a police report should they choose to.
"The person in question was also informed by the parish on Feb 7 (last year) that the parents of the altar servers were told that it was their prerogative to make a police report," said the spokesman.
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He added: "The archdiocese takes all complaints of such nature most seriously. To ensure transparency and to avoid any allegations of a cover-up, all complainants or their parents (if they are minors) are encouraged to make a police report.
"Once they choose to do so, all church investigations will cease and be held in abeyance pending the results of the police investigations."
When contacted, the alleged perpetrator denied the allegations and claimed the incidents had been misconstrued.
David Sun and Natalie Tan
- PUBLISHED
5 HOURS AGO
SINGAPORE - The Catholic Church here has confirmed that it investigated allegations of inappropriate behaviour between a former altar server and several younger altar servers who were aged between 11 and 16.
While the findings of the investigation were inconclusive, the altar server facing the allegations resigned from his role last year, and is now receiving professional counselling on the premises of the parish, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore told The Straits Times.
In the past two weeks, about 10 members of the altar servers' society at the parish, including its chairman, president and secretary, as well as some junior members, submitted their resignations to the parish priest in relation to this incident.
An altar server is a member of the lay community who assists the priest at the altar.
Most altar servers are young boys, with several older people acting as their leaders.
The resignations make up a third of the 30 or so active members of the society.
One of those who quit told ST that the resignations of the leaders were due to what was seen as a lack of action by the parish priest, and concerns that a police report has not been made.
ST understands that, so far, no police reports have been made by the parties involved.
The inappropriate behaviour allegedly took place from 2013 till 2019.
The core team of the society, consisting of its leaders, alerted the Professional Standards Office (PSO) of the archdiocese and the parish priest last year after they saw a video on social media which showed the man in the same bed with a young server in a hotel room in 2019.
The PSO was set up in 2011 to deal with sexual abuse against children and young people. The archdiocese spokesman said the office handles only complaints involving clerics.
"All other sexual complaints involving lay personnel are handled at the parish or organisation level," he said.
"However, the PSO advises and maintains oversight of the investigations to ensure that proper protocols and processes are adhered to. Hence, in this instance, it was proper that the investigations were undertaken at the parish level."
He also said that the parish priest led the investigation with the assistant parish priest and another person with legal training, and that the findings, which were inconclusive, were not made unilaterally but by a committee.
"Under the archdiocese's conflict resolution process, if any party is not satisfied with the outcome of a decision at the parish level, the party may bring it up to the vicar-general," he said, referring to the No. 2 in the Singapore archdiocese.
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In his response to ST, the spokesman also said: "The person in question was actually told at the outset to take a leave of absence while investigations were under way and not to have any contact with the group.
"Subsequently, he tendered his resignation (as an altar server) and this was accepted by the parish priest."
The man facing the allegations is still allowed to attend services at the parish.
The spokesman added that the parents of the parties involved were told they could make a police report.
"We have been informed by the parish priest that at no point in time did he discourage the parents not to make a police report," he said.
"In fact the parents were repeatedly invited to make a police report."
He said that on Feb 6 last year, during a meeting with members of the parish, the parents of the complainants were told they could and may wish to consider making a police report.
When the parents were informed of the outcome of the investigation in writing over a week later on Feb 17, they were again told that they had the right to make a police report should they choose to.
"The person in question was also informed by the parish on Feb 7 (last year) that the parents of the altar servers were told that it was their prerogative to make a police report," said the spokesman.
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He added: "The archdiocese takes all complaints of such nature most seriously. To ensure transparency and to avoid any allegations of a cover-up, all complainants or their parents (if they are minors) are encouraged to make a police report.
"Once they choose to do so, all church investigations will cease and be held in abeyance pending the results of the police investigations."
When contacted, the alleged perpetrator denied the allegations and claimed the incidents had been misconstrued.
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