In accordance with the mandate of the Prelate in the Prelature Safeguarding Policy (PSP Art. 27), the Regional Vicar for North-West Europe issued the present “Regional Safeguarding Policy” (“RSP”) on 1st September 2022, to apply and elaborate on the norms of the PSP - especially in regard to procedural matters - in accordance with the circumstances of the Region.


The Regional Safeguarding Policy also includes a Checklist of Safeguarding Standards to be met in external civil entities with which the Prelature collaborates in activities which include Christian formation for minors.

       Table of Contents

Preamble

Art. 1

TITLE I - NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE REGIONAL POLICY

Art. 2   |  Art. 3  |  Art. 4  |  Art. 5  |  Art. 6  |  Art. 7

TITLE II - CHURCH AUTHORITY AND AUXILIARY BODIES

Art. 8  |  Art. 9  |  Art. 10  |  Art. 11  |  Art. 12  |  Art. 13  |  Art. 14  |  Art. 15  |  Art. 16  |  Art. 17  |  Art. 18  |  Art. 19  |  Art. 20  |  Art. 21

TITLE III - VALUES TO BE SAFEGUARDED

Art. 22

TITLE IV - PROCEDURE FOR RAISING & RECEIVING CONCERNS

Art. 23  |  Art. 24  |  Art. 25  |  Art. 26  |  Art. 27  |  Art. 28  |  Art. 29  |  Art. 30  |  Art. 31

TITLE V - THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

Art. 32  |  Art. 33  |  Art. 34  |  Art. 35  |  Art. 36  |  Art. 37  |  Art. 38  |  Art. 39  |  Art. 40  |  Art. 41  |  Art. 42  |  Art. 43  |  Art. 44  |  Art. 45  |  Art. 46  |  Art. 47  |  Art. 48  |  Art. 49  |  Art. 50  |  Art. 51  |  Art. 52  |  Art. 53  |  Art. 54  |  Art. 55  |  Art. 56  |  Art. 57

TITLE VI - PASTORAL RESPONSE AFTER AN INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED

Art. 58  |  Art. 59  |  Art. 60  |  Art. 61  |  Art. 62  |  Art. 63  |  Art. 64

TITLE VII - PENAL REMEDIES AND PENANCES AT THE CLOSURE OF THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

Art. 65  |  Art. 66  |  Art. 67

POSTSCRIPT

Human and spiritual accompaniment of victims or injured persons

 

APPENDIX I

A - The Crime of Child Sexual Abuse in Church and State Law

A.1 - Motu proprio Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela

A.2 - The Procedure and Praxis of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

A.3 - Civil Law definitions

B. Plausible Notitiae

C. Imputability

D. Time Limits for Prosecution of Sexual Abuse

D.1 - Prescription in Canon Law

D.2 - Statute of Limitations in Civil Law

APPENDIX II

The Extra-Judicial Penal Procedure of the CIC

APPENDIX III

Canonical Response to Child Sexual Abuse Offences

APPENDIX IV

Report Form (Regional)

Protocol for dealing with institutional complaints to the Prelature

In order to promote healing processes in the case of serious and reasonable complaints of an institutional nature, the Prelature has a protocol of action which currently provides for the following:

1) Complaints will be heard in the country to which the facts refer.

2) Where it has been deemed appropriate, the regional vicar has set up an office of healing and resolution competent for these circumstances.

3) The complaint should be directed to the offices of the regional vicar of the respective region by contacting the coordinator via the following email addresses:  listening.uk@opusdei.org for Great Britain, listening.ie@opusdei.org for Ireland.