The exhibition “SHAME – European Stories” opened today simultaneously at the Museo Arte Sacro Bilbao and at the Bilbao Metro stations of Moyua and Indautxu. The exhibition, supported by the Council of Europe, features survivors of abuse from all over Europe, including Spanish survivors. In their opening speeches, politicians and experts stressed the importance of coming to terms with abuse, especially in Spain.
From Italy to Sweden, from Romania to Portugal: in recent months, portraits of almost 100 victims of child abuse have been collected across Europe. The photo exhibition “SHAME – European Stories”, which opens in the Bilbao Metro, gives a face and a voice to these victims of abuse for the first time. The photos were taken by award-winning photographer Simone Padovani. In her contribution to the exhibition, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, writes: “Sexual violence against children is not only abhorrent, but also a source of deep and lasting harm. It happens in all countries, to children of all backgrounds, and can take place once, or repeatedly, anywhere from a child’s own home or school to their local sports club.”
Restore dignity to victims in Europe and in Spain in particular
In his speech, Guido Fluri, president of Justice Initiative, which conceived the exhibition, thanked the authorities responsible for the Museo de Arte Sacro de Bilbao and the Bilbao Metro for hosting the exhibition. Fluri stressed the importance of creating a support network for victims throughout Europe, to guarantee them truth, help and reparation, but above all to prevent further abuses. “The exhibition should open our eyes and pave the way for a just solution in Europe. The victims, the affected, the survivors, all must receive justice in life. ”
In Spain, the Justice Initiative and the exhibition “SHAME – European Stories” have the crucial support of the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo. He highlighted “Our institution has the task of investigating and evaluating, through serious and rigorous work, sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the role of the public authorities, with the aim of drawing up a report that will be submitted to the Congress of Deputies.” In a congratulatory message, the Ombudsman concludes “We are aware that the quality of this work will help to ensure that these situations do not happen again. This is what any advanced democratic society should strive for.”
The president of the Association Mensajeros de la Paz, Father Angel Garcia, has sent a message of greetings to Bilbao: “I support with all my strength the mission of Justice Initiative to restore truth, justice and reparation for the victims of sexual abuse, conscience and child abuse in Europe.”
Manuel Lezertua, Ararteko de Euskadi, High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Basque Parliament declared that “These stories impel you to demand that they do not happen again, to seek ways and means to guarantee childhoods free of violence and reparation of the damage when, despite all the precautions, it has occurred.” Lezertua took the opportunity to thank “Justice Initiative, the Guido Fluri Foundation and the national association Infancia Robada for the opportunity to share this moment.”
Juan Cuatrecasas Asua, father of a victim and survivor of abuse at the Gaztelueta school in Leioa (Bizkaia), founding member of ANIR and socialist deputy in Congress indicated that “the recognition of girls and boys, some of whom are now adults, who denounce crimes of sexual abuse and child abuse, is still a pending issue for the public authorities and this campaign and its exhibition provide visibility for the sake of this necessary recognition.”
Support and recognition is what the victims themselves are asking for, determined to break the veil of silence that shrouds their stories by giving voice to their pain. “I think this kind of exhibition is necessary and will surely encourage many victims to come forward. We will have to set up a network into which they can fall, we can’t let them fall into the void. Setting up such a network is political and institutional work, both minor and adult victims must have a specific and guaranteed psychological and legal response”, says Pepe, one of the survivors photographed in the framework of the “SHAME – European Stories” project.
More information/contacts with the media:
Ana Cristina Cuevas (director of the Spanish hub of the Justice Initiative):
anacristinacuevas@gmail.com
+34 639 46 70 19, (on 15.2. 23 available from 11.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.)
