Do you need to report suspicious behaviour towards minors or vulnerable people?
Do you want to report a breach of moral standards?
Anyone aware of an offence or a crime of a sexual nature committed against a minor or a vulnerable person is obliged by law to make a report to the police station or to the Public Prosecutor
+33 (0) 5 62 51 77 00 – 6 bis rue du Maréchal Foch – 65000 Tarbes.
All suspicious behaviour and abuse of a minor or vulnerable person should also be reported to the Sanctuary or diocesan authorities by contacting:
The Rector: Mgr. Olivier RIBADEAU DUMAS, at +33 (0) 5 62 42 79 00
and by email: rectorat@lourdes-france.com
Fr. Giuseppe Serighelli, episcopal delegate for the protection of minors and vulnerable people,
at +33 (0) 7 57 41 18 63
and by email: deleguepreventionabus@catholique65.fr
Awareness and information
The Sanctuary of Lourdes has created 3 awareness-raising tools to help those organising pilgrimages to Lourdes and group leaders to organise information sessions.
Protection Charter
Advice on maintaining an unbiased and appropriate attitude
Awareness-raising video
Objectives:
Raise awareness among all those who, in the sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, have a pastoral responsibility (pilgrimage directors, Hospitality presidents, group leaders) and contact with minors and vulnerable people.
How to run an information session:
• The information session should be held in small groups
• It should start with the awareness-raising video
• Maximum duration: 30 minutes (video plus discussion)
- Show the awareness-raising video
- Pause at suitable points to promote discussion between participants.
- Ask the participants to share their feelings
The speaker should demonstrate that they are:
- compassionate
- positive
- ready to listening
If a person starts feeling emotionally overwhelmed
What to do for the person concerned
• First, listen with empathy.
• It is not a bad thing to have strong emotions. It happens.
• Recommend that he or she talks to someone.
• Tell the person exactly who to speak to (episcopal delegate)
What to do about the other participants
• Enable those present to leave, thereby giving the person the opportunity to feel freer and not constrained by the presence of others.
What not to do
• Do not touch the person.
• Avoid hugging in case it brings back memories of some form of abuse.
You will be able to indicate your acceptance of the protection charter when you register on the booking platform (on the form, “I acknowledge having read the conditions of the charter relating to the protection of vulnerable persons…”)