Abuse survivor plans trip to replace memorial ribbons

Thursday, 6 June 2019

Mike Ledingham launched his book The Catholic Boys at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Onehunga in 2019.

A child abuse survivor is so upset at the removal of memorial ribbons from an Auckland Catholic church, he plans to get ribbons from Australian survivors to replace those taken down.

Colourful ribbons honouring sex abuse victims vanished after being tied to a fence at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Onehunga, where children experienced harrowing child abuse at the hands of a priest.

The Catholic Church has said children removed the ribbons a few hours after former SAS soldier Mike Ledingham launched his book The Catholic Boys on Saturday.

Dr Murray Heasley said most of the allegedly 'frightening' ribbbons were left blank.

Grant West, a survivor of abuse at state and faith-based institutions, told Stuff the ribbons or 'loud fence' were a crucial part of the healing process for countless victims.

**READ MORE:

Rehua Ote Rangi Kereama (4th from left) blessed and cleansed the site. He is a tohunga and ex-army comrade of Mike Ledingham.

* Disgust as memorial ribbons for Catholic Church child sex abuse victims vanish

* [Outrage over senior bishops attending funeral of abusive priest Father Tom Laffey

Mike Ledingham (R) launched his book The Catholic Boys in Onehunga where children were repeatedly abused by a Catholic priest. His brother Chris (L) was also a victim of the late Father Frank Green.

](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/112495256/outrage-over-senior-bishops-attending-funeral-of-abusive-priest-father-john-laffey?rm=m)* Global Catholic nuns urge reporting of sex abuse to police

* Catholic sex abuse: Brothers say priest 'crushed my soul and spirit'**

'The symbolism of putting these ribbons into the fence is to take back what was done to you.'

West, a New Zealander now living in Australia, had been involved in loud fence ribbon initiatives in the state of Victoria.

He said the Church there took down ribbons one night in the city of Ballarat.

'What this has done to survivors is brought about more damage and distrust against the Catholic Church as a whole.'

He now planned on flying to Auckland or posting the ribbons to Dr Murray Heasley, spokesman for Survivors of Abuse in Faith-based Institutions.

'Either way, we'll get them over there.'

Catholic Church spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer has said the church did not order the removal of ribbons.

'The parish secretary went to Mass at the church on Saturday evening and said that she didn't notice any ribbons there then,' Freer said.

'So this morning she spoke to a group of children who were doing a project in the church on Saturday afternoon.'

Ribbons were tied after a book launch and cleansing ceremony last Saturday.

She said the children apparently had no knowledge of Ledingham's book launch ceremony and 'were frightened at the messages' on the ribbons.

Freer said children who were altar servers had older teenagers supervising them.

Ribbon messages included 'love conquers all' and 'love lasts forever, if it's not cut off at the knees'.

Freer said a groundsman was trying to retrieve as many ribbons as possible from a bin, and put them back on the fence.

Heasley said the ribbon removals re-victimised those who were abused.

'Now they're trying to say we've frightened innocent children,' Heasley said after hearing the church's comments.

'They're scared of a ribbon? Come on.'

Heasley said the vast majority of ribbons had been left blank anyway.

The Catholic Boys book recounted issues including the sexual abuse the late Father Francis 'Frank' Green perpetrated.

'What was a hell of a lot more frightening than ribbons was Father Frank Green,' Heasley said.