The past several years have seen a growing number of disturbing cases in which individuals have come forward, some after decades of silence, to report instances of sexual abuse by priests and other clerical figures. With accusations steadily on the rise since a single high-profile case in the U.S. in 2002, it is now estimated that between two and four percent of all Catholic priests serving since 1950 have been implicated in such scandals.
The vast majority of these cases involve abuse when the victim was a child, since those in clerical roles exercise a certain amount of authority as supposed role models and spiritual guides for this age group. Common offenses included removing or touching children beneath clothes, although thousands of allegations claim even more heinous action.
Greatly complicating matters, the Catholic Church and other religious institutions have been accused of trying to cover up these abuses or failing to report them. It has been reported that oftentimes, if officials caught wind of unacceptable behavior, those responsible were simply reassigned to a different parish rather than being removed altogether. Obviously this practice only increases the possibility for the abuser to hurt more innocent people.
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Reporting abuse of this nature, especially so many years later, can take an unimaginable amount of courage. As children, we look to religious and social leaders as figureheads of morality and what is right. When this impressionability and trust is broken, it can feel almost impossible to process the subsequent emotions of shame, hurt, and confusion.
However, as the flood of recent cases has shown, the painful memories of clerical abuse do not simply disappear with time. As difficult as it may be, they must be dealt with, and an effective way of dealing with them is to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes.
If you or someone you love has been abused, you owe it to yourself or to that person to make your voice heard. Contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. today to find out what you can do to right this injustice.