Three former pupils of an Argentine school for the deaf have travelled to Rome to demand the release of records on priests who abused them.
Daniel Sgardelis, one of those abused at the Provolo Institute for the Deaf in La Plata, said he wants an international law which would force the Vatican to “stop covering up”.
“We need this to change,” he said. “It’s been a long time – 50 years – and it’s still the same.
“We are victims and we need for them (Vatican) to give us evidence.”
Mr Sgardelis was accompanied by Ezequiel Villalonga and Claudia Labeguerie, two survivors from Mendoza, following a visit to Geneva, where they told the UN Committee Against Torture of their abuses.
Sufferings
They also told the UN committee that despite the Pope and Vatican being informed of their sufferings at the institute, no concrete action has been taken to release the names of abusers.
“We went to the United Nations to denounce the abuses and tortures suffered, and we need the Pope to end this,” said Mr Villalonga. “We also need him to give the evidence and the photos (of the abusers), because in Argentina we have not received justice.”
The students claim they were physically abused at the schools if they attempted to use sign language, which left many unable to communicate the sexual abuse to their families or authorities.
They were taught only one hand gesture by the abusive priests: an index finger to the lips to demand their silence. “We need this to stop,” said Ms Labeguerie. “We suffered a lot, we weren’t allowed to speak in sign language, we felt that we weren’t listened to.”
