This Independent Inquiry was commissioned by the Focolare Movement to look into cases of violence against minors by J.M.M., a former consecrated member of the Focolare, resident in France. After more than 15 months work, conducting 99 interviews and 130 hours of research, exchanging 1500 emails, the Inquiry team is pleased to now publish the report of its findings and recommendations in full.

A principal task of the Inquiry was to listen to the victims. This has been a challenging part of the process, for victims and for the Inquiry team, but is the most important element of the Inquiry and the report begins with a section on the victims and their experiences. The Inquiry felt it not only appropriate but essential to ensure the victims' voices are heard and that their stories should provide the context for everything else in the report.

The report goes on to describe the events over five decades whereby J.M.M. sexually abused or attempted to abuse his victims, mainly adolescent boys, describing his modus operandi and also the context in which the abuse took place. The Inquiry heard of other abuses, some sexual as well as other forms of abuse, from a significant number of victims and witnesses that also provided detail on the context within the Focolare Movement wherein J.M.M. and others were able to abuse their positions of trust with impunity.

The fact the abuse was extensive and was not addressed, even when it was reported to those in charge and in positions of responsibility, is also the subject of the report. The Inquiry was asked to look at the degree of knowledge of these events by the persons responsible at the time and subsequently, and assess how they were dealt with. The report details how reports were not adequately responded to, victims were not listened to, were not treated appropriately and how opportunities were missed to respond to the abuse of J.M.M and to prevent subsequent incidents. Finally, the report details how the Focolare Movement has developed protection measures more recently and makes a series of recommendations designed to strengthen the safeguarding environment, including those relating to fundamental changes to culture and leadership as well as to systems for safeguarding governance.

No Inquiry and no report can ever address every aspect of such tragic events as these. However, the Inquiry team hopes that the outcomes of this process do justice to the victims and their experiences, and will serve Focolare and other institutions in recognising the need to ensure the safety and protection of children and vulnerable adults is paramount and this includes responding effectively when harm is reported.