MANILA – For the first time ever, leading experts gathered in a landmark three-day public summit to confront the issue of child sexual abuse and cover-ups by clergy on Jan. 31, 2025. The event featured the Philippines’ foremost authorities on the Catholic abuse crisis, alongside renowned global experts from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Organizers aimed to spark a national conversation in the Philippines— the world’s third-largest Catholic country— about this long-silenced issue, while exposing the systemic failures within religious institutions across the developing world that have allowed abuse to persist unchecked.
In many countries, including the Philippines, clergy sexual abuse has been shielded by powerful church leaders who prioritize protecting the institution’s reputation over the well-being of survivors. Bishops and senior Church officials have been complicit in covering up abuse, transferring predator priests from parish to parish, and silencing victims. This entrenched culture of protection has allowed the abuse to continue, inflicting lasting harm on survivors, their families, and entire communities.
“Survivors like me have been forced into silence for far too long, not only by the abusers but by a system that protected them,” said Gemma Hickey, president of ECA Global. “Bishops and Church leaders have shielded predators, ignoring the suffering of survivors. It’s time for that to end, and for the Church to be held accountable for its role in this worldwide crisis.”
The summit offered a powerful platform for survivors to share their stories and demand accountability from bishops and religious institutions that have enabled abuse through cover-ups and neglect. Featured speakers included Dr. Michael Leahy, Dr. Keiran Tapsell, Father Shay Cullen, and Anne Barrett Doyle, among others, who will explore the systemic nature of clergy sexual abuse, the complicity of bishops, and the urgent need for reform— with a key focus on the challenges faced by developing countries, where institutional power and cultural taboos often silence victims.
“We must create spaces where survivors are not only heard but empowered to seek justice and healing,” said Dr. Murray Peter Heasley, summit organizer. “In the developing world, where cultural deference to the Church often protects predators, this summit aims to spark meaningful change within religious institutions. These countries are among the most vulnerable because they face limited resources to support victims in the face of systemic cover-ups.”
The summit also focused on the development of stronger safeguarding policies, providing religious institutions with the tools and knowledge to prevent abuse and support survivors. Attendees explored strategies to ensure that legal systems, governments, and the church itself take responsibility and begin the difficult work of rebuilding trust with survivors and the wider community.
ECA Global is an international coalition of survivors and human rights advocates from over twenty-five countries, dedicated to holding the Catholic Church accountable for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
