The first Catholic Church safeguarding officers have been appointed in Thornlie who will provide support to children who are at risk of sexual abuse.
In response to the royal commission into Institutionalised Child Sexual Abuse WA Archbishop Timothy Costello initiated the Safeguarding Project in 2014.
Churches across Perth installed safeguarding officers earlier this year with Amanda Pereira and Terry Ryan taking their place at the Sacred Heart Parish in Thornlie in September.
A Thornlie parishioner for almost 20 years Ms Pereira said the project was designed to raise awareness of collective responsibility to look out for children and vulnerable people.
“The project will be focused on the prevention of abuse and harm to children and vulnerable individuals within parishes,” she said.
Safeguarding officers will be available to members of the church who have suspicions of child abuse and other serious concerns.
In recent years the Catholic Church has been rocked by allegations of sex abuse with multiple members of the clergy having been found guilty of or been accused of committing sexual acts against children.
Most notably Cardinal George Pell, Australia’s highest Catholic member and second in the church only to the Pope, was fighting historic charges of sex abuse.
Ms Pereira said the allegations had resulted in changes within the church.
“We must ensure primary prevention occurs in a timely fashion,” she said.
“The community must be provided with appropriate and professional information and education.”
Ms Pereira said one in three girls and one in six boys in Australia were sexually abused before their 18th birthday but the figures were in relation to the general Australian public and did not reflect numbers within the Catholic Church.
However a royal commission hearing in Sydney this year revealed nearly 2000 members of the Catholic Church in Australia had been identified as alleged perpetrators of sexual crimes against children.
The royal commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse revealed four Australian Catholic institutes where more than 20 per cent of staff had been accused of having sexual relations with children.
Ms Pereira said the whole community should help protect its children.
“We need to be vigilant,” she said.
“Protecting children is everyone’s business.”
