Helpline:
0808 801 0340

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Minster and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (MACSAS)

MACSAS is a support group for women and men from Christian backgrounds who have been sexually abused by Ministers or Clergy, as children or as adults. We support both survivors who have remained within their Christian communities and for those who have left.

This website offers many useful resources. We also offer a telephone and email helpline for victims and survivors of Minister and Clergy sexual abuse – and for relatives of victims and survivors. We are happy to help as far as we are able.

We offer support in the following ways:

• through our telephone Helpline;
• by responding to confidential letters;
• by establishing local support groups countrywide;
• by organising meetings, conferences, workshops and training to raise awareness;
• by publishing Newsletters and publications to help inform on the issues;
• by advising churches and church authorities on effective policies and procedures.

MACSAS supports those who were abused as a child or as an adult by a clergyperson, minister, pastor, church leader, religious or religious sister. As a victim or survivor you may yourself be a priest, minister or religious sister. We are happy to give you the support you might also need.

We also offer advice and resources for those who care about what happens in our church communities, to both children and adults, and who wish to stamp out all sexual violation by church leaders. If you are a clergyperson or Minister yourself, and need advice or help, please do contact us.

MACSAS wants all those sexually abused or exploited by church leaders to know they are not alone. We have vast experience of supporting and advising in this area of abuse work.

All who work for MACSAS are volunteers, who themselves are survivors. Helpline workers are trained and certified to undertake helpline duties.

Two of our committee members presented our work at a Christian resource convention in January 2012:
> View their video where they share with you some aspects of our work

We welcome feedback and contributions (poems, artwork, your story) from survivors. Send contributions by email and we'll get back to you.

MACSAS Survey 2012

Following the success of the MACSAS Survey 2010, we have decided to leave a form on our website for victims/survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated within Christian Churches in the UK to complete.
Irish victims please fill out The Victims Voice questionnaire on the right of this page.
We will produce a yearly report on the findings of forms received.
> MACSAS survey 2011/12 form [Word]

 

Free Helpline: 0808 801 0340

The Helpline is available on the following days in May/June 2012:
Wednesday 23rd May 6-9pm
Tuesday 29th May 2-5pm
Wednesday 30th May 6-9pm
Wednesday 6th June 6-9 pm
Tuesday 12th June 2-5 pm

 

 

 

 

Some Essential MACSAS Leaflets

These documents are in PDF format.

» Clergy Sexual Exploitation of Adults

» Your Safety

» Finding a Counsellor or Therapist

» Keeping Records

» Contact with the Media

You will need Acrobat reader to view many of the documents on this site.

 

Calling all Irish victims of clergy sexual abuse

Research questionnaire: 'The Victims Voice' - a response to the Vatican's Visitation Report in Ireland.

Dr Margaret Kennedy, founder of MACSAS, and now living and working in Ireland, is undertaking a piece of research on the 'care and support' of Irish clergy sexual abuse victims, in both northern and southern Ireland. This is in response to the Vatican Visitation Report. Participants must be victims who were sexually abused in Ireland by either clergy, religious or nuns.

> Fill out The Victims Voice questionnaire [Word]

All questionnaires to be returned by email to MACSAS by 30th April 2012.
All identifying details of participants will be disguised and information shredded on completion of the research.

Any queries, please email MACSAS
Many thanks