Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church Is Widespread (From Child Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints, P 158-166, 1994, David Bender and Bruno Leone, eds. -- See NCJ-159823)

• NCJ Number: 159842
• Author(s): A Anderson; V Quade
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

In the past decade, hundreds of clergy from many denominations have been publicly accused of sexually abusing children, and several Catholic priests in particular have been accused of pedophilia.

Abstract

Catholic church officials have ignored or denied priest pedophilia and have often responded by moving offending priests from place to place, allowing them access to new victims. These actions by the church have made it difficult to prosecute or even to force the acknowledgment of child sexual abuse by priests. Payouts related to charges of child abuse by priests may total $1 billion over the next 5 years. The Catholic church has historically failed to deal seriously with lawsuits, litigation, and civil responsibility but is now beginning to recognize the seriousness of the child sexual abuse problem. Child sexual abuse by priests is discussed in terms of the reluctance of law enforcement to actually arrest and prosecute priests, the loyalty of church members, and difficulties in jury selection for cases involving priests. Legal tactics of the Catholic church are considered, and the need for the church to deal openly with the problem of child sexual abuse by priests is stressed.