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COMMENTARY
Changing the Rules: the Right Response
VOTF CA Robert Rowden
[America magazine, May 15, 2006: A religious institutions
attorney, L. Martin Nussbaum, wrote “Changing the
Rules – Selective Justice for Catholic institutions.” Subscribers
may access
it here.]
The sexual abuse of children is a worldwide problem of
enormous magnitude, and L. Martin Nussbaum is correct in
pointing out that it is not merely a Catholic problem.
Perhaps the press's "obsession" with the scandal
resulted from the discovery that an institution claiming
ultimate moral authority is represented by more than a
few leaders who were criminally negligent in repeatedly
enabling child abuse, sometimes in clear violation of expert
advice. Priest pedophiles have apparently been known since
the early days of the Church. What is a newsworthy scandal
is the response of some bishops and other church leaders
to the victims who, instead of pastoral concern, apology
and offers of necessary therapy were met with disbelief,
denial, broken promises, and hardball legal tactics. Had
it not been for a diligent press and aggressive prosecutors
the extent of their perfidy would be yet unknown.
It does the Church no service to rail against the accepted
concept of repressed memory following life-changing trauma.
Some do not realize what has happened to them for many
years In addition many victims have lived most of their
lives believing as they were groomed, that the abuse was
their own fault. The guilt and shame cultivated by the
perpetrator is deeply imbedded. Victims are subject to
alcohol and drug abuse, serious depression and multiple
failed relationships. Many develop post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) which requires ongoing therapy. Clearly,
in the interest of justice the rules need to be changed
and statutes of limitation eliminated or vastly expanded.
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