Predator Précis (04.07.23)
Weekly Roundup of Current Church Sex Abuse Scandals
***Trigger Warning (TW): Let Us Prey discusses child sex abuse (CSA) within religion(s), and as such includes difficult topics, including personal accounts of CSA that may be triggering or traumatizing.
It’s Friday, so that means it’s time for a weekly roundup of the church sex abuse scandals currently in the news, or what I call Predator Précis.
Summary: Based on three different stories published just within the last week (linked below), there are over 220 known child molesters and over 600 identified child sex abuse victims within just two Catholic dioceses and one Protestant church. Two of the most telling quotes are the one where one deacon admitted to molesting over 100 children and the church elder who said the sexual assaults weren’t a big deal because most girls have experienced molestation by 18 anyway. HOLY FUCK, welcome to real Hell!
Articles:
“More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children and often escaped accountability, according to a long-awaited state report released Wednesday that revealed the scope of abuse spanning 80 years and accused church leaders of decades of coverups.
The report paints a damning picture of the archdiocese, which is the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the country and spans much of Maryland. Some parishes, schools and congregations had more than one abuser at the same time — including St. Mark Parish in Catonsville, which had 11 abusers living and working there between 1964 and 2004. One deacon admitted to molesting over 100 children.”
“Roughly 70 priests, deacons and those with religious orders whose allegations were deemed credible were detailed in the report”
“The lawsuits, which seek damages, describe disturbing instances of molestation against minors. And they accuse the ICOC, its founder, Thomas “Kip” McKean, and associated organizations of creating “a widespread culture of acceptance of the abuse of children”.
“What happened to your girls isn’t that big of a deal,” a church elder allegedly told a mother of two young girls who were sexually assaulted on church grounds, according to a February filing. “Most girls have been molested by the time they reach 18.”