Clergy Abuse Information

abused in churchCalifornia encompasses a range of illegal and unacceptable acts frequently commited on young children and teens by predatory clergy or other church members involving sexual assault of varying degrees. The abuse can be a one-off, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it might involve many assaults within a continuing interaction. For instance, an ongoing “trusting” relationship with a young child created by the predatory intent of a church member, cloaked by the trust and reverence provided to a member of the clergy, leading to non-consensual sexual assault acts of molestation.

In most alleged Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse situations, the failure by the Clergy member’s employer to fully, adequately and promptly report the crime to law enforcement and other authorities, or its further failure to investigate, handle and resolve entirely with the situation increases the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and potentially others. Recent Church Sexual Abuse cases covered in the media highlight these short-comings, that includes “pass-the-trash” situations when the perpetrator frequently a priest in the Catholic Church, is secretly moved from one location to another merely to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an unaware parish community.

Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse & Retribution
Not a day passes without a news headline reporting about sexual abuse and molestation of young children by predator clergy, or the effects of the abuse on the victims and their families. If you are a victim of sexual assault from a priest or other church member, these stories are likely to serve as an echo chamber, reverberating the horror, embarrassment, guilt and various unwelcome feelings staining your well-being. Encouraged by the societal movement and other pathways that encourage them to reveal the assault they experienced, survivors of assault are increasingly employing the legal system to compensate them for the life-long damage and injury they have suffered.

If you are a victim of assault commited by a priest, the result of the abuse on your life and core belief system may be immeasurable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible clergy and institutions accountable for their crimes and indifference might offer a measure of justice and recompense to abuse survivors. Commonly, survivors can assert their legal rights in confidential mediation therein avoiding the need for litigation. However, if litigation is required, a case may be filed where the survivor can remain anonymous.

Predatory Behavior
All abusers, to varying degrees, use predatory methods which are generally referred to as grooming, tracking a potential abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming actions used by predators who are in a position of authority relative to the subordinate child.

Grooming
Grooming is a major part of a predator’s ploy. In a religious setting, the priest is revered as God’s representative. Within this environment, the predator frequently works closely with small amounts of children, identifying each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and situations. Once a target is identified, these vulnerabilities – like tumultuous family setting, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – might be systematically exploited in the following ways:

Trust
An assaulter will first work to gain the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to notice as church communities are often tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the assaulter can feign genuine concern in the child’s wellbeing and groeth – both emotional and religious.

Reliance
As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential target and oftentimes their family members, the child will begin to rely more and more on the predator for any need it is that the priest is exploiting and fulfilling. The child will devote more time with the predator, feeling more and more comfortable with the relationship and relying on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the possible victim may receive presents from the predator, including valuable, intangible gifts like blessings and special recognition.
Isolation
As the grooming continues, the predator will try to isolate the possible target. This may result in single counseling meetings, meals or other methods of one-on-one isolated encounters.
Sexualization
The predator may begin to de-sensitize the child from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and other actions that lead to sexual interaction. This could begin with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with suggestive messages to determine the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will continue until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
Once the sexual relationship is established, the predator will try to maintain control of the child and the continued interaction. The predator will likely want to manipulate the child by continuing to make the target feel special and worthy. The predator will keep exploiting the victim by whatever methods needed to maintain the immoral physical relationship.

Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors

The impact of childhood assault on the survivor can be overwhelming and life-changing. Several priest abuse survivors suffer from long-term effects of the assault including depression, disturbed sleeping, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and eating patterns, and problems establishing and maintaining vibrant relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups can assist victims overcome these effects.

Legally, a victim of Clergy Sexual Assault may recover financial compensation from the predator and, more frequently, from the church for its failure to shield the victim from the assault, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method of reviewing and resolving to reports of assault. If you are a victim of Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse and would like to confidentially discuss your experience and your legal options, we are ready to speak with you.