Joel Gibson; 25/7/08
The Catholic Church’s national sexual abuse assessment and treatment facility this month consists of one volunteer in Kincumber on a mobile phone. Encompass, which treated more than 1100 Catholic clergy for psychosexual and other mental health issues, closed on June 30 after the church hierarchy decided against spending $200,000 a year to keep it going. In the meantime, a former board member, Timothy O’Hearn has been left to answer Encompass’s phone, referring church employees with mental health issues to private treatment. Professor O’Hearn is on leave from his job as dean of students and director of ministry at the Australian Catholic University.
Tags: Australia, Christianity, Sex Trade