Prevention of Abuse
The International town of Loppiano, an expression of the Focolare Movement, bases its community life on Jesus’ new commandment: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ (Jn 15:12). From this commitment springs the desire to respect and uphold the dignity of every person, creating safe environments that foster human growth and promote a culture founded on care, respect and mutual esteem.
For this reason, we are committed to preventing and avoiding any form of abuse, in accordance with the principles and guidelines defined by the Focolare Movement:
Listening and Support Service
The Focolare Movement in Italy has established the Listening and Support Service. Within the context of protection, the Service involves a relationship established with any person who feels or has been a victim of abuse within the Focolare Movement. It was created to ensure a supportive presence, so that no one is left alone.
Who is it for?
The service was established with the aim of welcoming all those interested in receiving information or a listening ear regarding protection, concerning abuse of all kinds: physical, psychological, sexual, spiritual, abuse of authority, abuse of conscience, and bullying. The service operates whilst respecting the anonymity of the person seeking help and their privacy.
It is available to:
• direct or indirect victims
• people in positions of responsibility who need to manage cases of abuse.
What it offers
This is neither a therapeutic nor an investigative service: it involves 1–3 listening sessions to welcome, guide and suggest any more specific support pathways.
For formal reports of abuse, please refer to the relevant Independent Commission (contact details on the Focolare Movement website: https://www.focolare.org/en/prevention-of-abuse).
How to contact us
The sessions take place online.
By clicking the button, you can browse the profiles of the team members: independent professionals working on a voluntary basis, who are not members of or hold leadership positions within the Focolare Movement.