Source: Radio New Zealand
Patricia Allan Supplied
An Anglican priest who has advocated for the victims of sexual abuse for decades has been recognised in the New Year Honours.
Reverend Dr Patricia Allan has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the survivors of abuse.
In 1987 Reverend Allan was one of the first women to be ordained in the Anglican Church in New Zealand, and later became the West Coast’s first female vicar.
While she was preparing for ordination she learnt of sexual abuse and harassment within the Church, and started to act as an advocate for women who had been abused.
“I immediately recognised that my Church, like most others, was totally unprepared for such a revelation. The abuser was protected and the women blamed,” said Allan.
“So a lot of my work over the years has been trying to persuade them to be more open with their processes and things. And that came to a head with the Royal Commission.”
In 2018 Allan began a post-doctoral research project to look at how the Anglican Church in New Zealand had progressed in 30 years of dealing with sexual abuse.
That research was subpoenaed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, and she gave public testimony to the commission.
She said it had been satisfying to see the issues looked at by the Royal Commission and to see the changes that have come from it.
“In the Anglican Church in Christchurch there has been quite a lot of work done making sure that our safeguarding procedures are in place and that the complaint process is much more open.
“There is still work to be done, but there has been a pretty widespread acknowledgment of, we call it lament, real sorrow over what has happened in the past and a real desire for a happier future.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
