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Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
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If Craig Dunford and
others are trying to understand why all clerics are under suspicion of being
perverts ("The curse among the clergy", July 11), the answer is
simple. For many years the
Roman Catholic Church, the Salvation Army and perhaps other religious
outfits, have protected abusers by covering up when complaints have been
made. Abusers were moved to
locations where their history was not known, to continue abusing. In the
Salvation Army known abusers were promoted. The practice of
collusion and protection by the churches means there is no way for outsiders
to distinguish the perverts from their peers. All religious staff, from the
very top down, are under suspicion. The underlying beliefs
of the churches mean that abuse and covering up is likely to continue. After
all, they adhere to a higher law than that of our "unjust"
democratic legal system. My opinion is based on
experiences and observations during an unfortunate 10-year period when I was
"cared for" by Salvation Army officers and other employees. It was a time of daily cruelty,
misery, exploitation, neglect, abuse and constant Bible-banging. My family,
which paid the bills, was told I was happy and well. Some may tell you the
good outweighed the bad and that we were taught moral values. I learned only one
useful thing at the hands of Christians - that big people can beat up little
people. |
