Installation after Ciase report at the end of 2021, the INIRR is an authority for the recognition and repair of abuse. It allows any victim, who was a minor at the time of the acts committed by a diocesan priest or a lay person on an ecclesial mission, to enter into an official process of recognition and reparation, which could lead to financial compensation. INIRR’s mandate expires in September. The bishops therefore thought about and voted for a future device. Titled “Renaître“, it will come into force on September 1.
From an independent structure to a decentralized structure
It is about creating a national proximity network. « We would like to register in a system which is no longer used in the event of a crisis but which is permanent“, confides Mgr Gérard Le Stang. It will be made up of reception and listening cells, under the responsibility of the bishops, and the accompanying people responsible for implementing the restorative approaches.The churches must not function simply on the role of a delegation to an external body, but must say to themselves that it is our entire Church which is concerned », affirme Mgr Gérard Le Stang.Â
Comprehensive support
The group of companions will be coordinated by an independent national body which will receive a mandate from the bishops. A training framework will guarantee the skills necessary for specific support for victims of sexual violence. An ethics charter will also establish the framework for operating rules. “It is not just psychological, legal or other skills, it is also a moral commitment », underlines léveêque d’Amiens.
An outside perspective, necessary for the system
A group of witnesses made up of victims will be associated with the system. Their mission will be to provide feedback both on the basis of the stories of the victims who have been received and the general view of the functioning of the institution. According to Mgr Gérard Le Stang, “their words, their expertise, their feelings are very important »
The device Reindeer will be subject to external audits every three years. It will therefore come into force on September 1. Remember that 1,789 people have sent a request to INIRR and 1,225 people have been supported since the start of the body’s operation in 2022.
