A church is a place people should feel loved, cared for and supported by the clergy who run it. Sadly, some church staff use their power and influence to sexually abuse parishioners.
Survivors may try to report these claims directly to their church to hold the abuser accountable and prevent others from facing similar harm.
This negligence can leave survivors in a difficult position, especially those who are loyal and avid members of their faith.
How might my church respond?
You might wonder whether reporting sexual abuse to your church will help your case. It can be hard to know what to expect if you bring a sexual abuse claim to your church.
Unfortunately, some survivors find that their church is less concerned with their safety and well-being and more concerned with protecting the church's public image and acquitting abusers.
If you wonder how seriously your church will take your claim, asking yourself the following questions can help determine how they may respond:
- What is your church's view on power?: Do your church's leaders wield tight control over your congregation? Do they demand that you follow their every word? Or are clergy open to hearing the thoughts and feelings of their parishioners and acting on their concerns? Your church should be a place where you can speak up, especially after facing abuse. It shouldn't be a place where spiritual authorities have unlimited power.
- Does your church have an effective abuse reporting system?: If you report abuse to your church, do they have a transparent and outlined process for documenting such incidents? Does this process include actionable steps leaders can take to resolve issues? Additionally, does your church's reporting process have reporting abuse claims to authorities? If you run into multiple barriers in your church's reporting system, it may be their way of trying to mitigate or eliminate abuse claims from coming down the pipeline.
- Does your church's theology protect abusers or survivors?: The word and teachings of church clergy can have considerable influence over their congregation. Sadly, some of these leaders use the fundamental beliefs of their faith to invalidate survivors and protect abusers. For example, when church leaders use the concept of forgiveness to absolve any responsibility held by abusers and that their atonement should not involve a criminal investigation.
Survivors can seek justice elsewhere
You deserve to feel safe in your place of worship, especially those who preach it daily. And when you or someone you love faces sexual abuse by clergy or other church officials, survivors deserve to have their voices heard. You may feel betrayed or even defeated when your church discredits your claim. But if they do, that doesn't mean your fight for justice is over.