Clergy Abuse comprises a range of illegal and unacceptable behaviors commonly perpetrated on kids and adolescents by predatory priests or other church members involving sexual abuse of varying amounts. The assault may be a one-time, non-consensual scroll barevent or it may include many acts within a continuing interaction. For instance, a continuing “trusting” interaction with a child spawned by the predatory behavior of a church member, cloaked with the trust and respect provided to a priest, leading to non-consensual sexual assault acts of molestation.
Within all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse situations, the failure by the Church member’s superior to entirely, adequately and immediately disclose the crime to police and other authorities, or the continuing failure to investigate, address and resolve fully with the occurrence amplifies the harm on the assault survivor, the community and possibly others. Recent Church Sexual Assault cases covered in the press highlight these short-comings, including “pass-the-trash” scenarios where the perpetrator commonly a priest in the Catholic Church, is suddenly transferred from one church to another merely to continue his predatory, criminal action on an innocent parish community.
Priest and Clergy Sexual Assault and Justice
Not a week goes by without a news headline reporting regarding sexual assault and molestation of children by pedophile clergy, or the effects of the abuse on the survivors and their families. If
priest lawsuit Connecticut are a victim of sexual assault from a priest or other church member, these stories are most likely to act as an echo chamber, reverberating the horror, shame, guilt and various unwanted emotions staining your wellness. Encouraged by the social movement and other channels that encourage victims to disclose the assault they suffered, survivors of abuse are increasingly employing the legal system to compensate them for the lifetime harm and injury they have experienced.
If you are a survivor of abuse perpetrated by a priest, the result of the abuse on your life and foundational belief system may be incalculable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible priest and institutions accountable for their crimes and failures may provide a measure of justice and recompense to abuse victims. Frequently, victims can assert their legal rights in confidential mediation therein avoiding the need for litigation. But, if litigation is required, a motion might be filed where the victim can remain anonymous.
Predatory Behavior
All predators, to varying degrees, employ predatory tricks that are generally known as grooming, tracking a possible assault victim. Below is a survey of grooming actions exhibited by predators who are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate child.
Grooming
Grooming is a significant piece of a predator’s ploy. In a religious setting, the priest is held as God’s representative. Within this environment, the predator frequently works closely with small amounts of children, understanding each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and situations. Once a victim is located, these vulnerabilities – such as violent family setting, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – can be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust
An assaulter will first work to get the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to notice as church communities are frequently tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the priest can feign sincere 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 whatever need it is that the priest is exploiting and fulfilling. The child will spend more time with the priest, 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 gifts from the predator, including valuable, intangible gifts such as blessings and special recognition.
Isolation
While grooming continues, the predator might work to isolate the possible victim. This might mean solo counseling sessions, meals or other forms of one-on-one isolated encounters.
Sexualization
The predator might start to de-sensitize the child from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and other behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This could start with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with inappropriate messages to determine the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will continue until the relationship gets to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator will try to keep control over the child and the continuing interaction. The predator may likely want to manipulate the victim by continuing to make the target feel special and worthy. The predator will keep exploiting the victim by whatever means needed to maintain the immoral physical relationship.
Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors
The impact of childhood assault on the victim can be severe and life-changing. Several clergy abuse survivors suffer from long-term effects of the abuse including depression, disturbed sleeping, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups can assist victims overcome these effects.
Legally, a victim of Priest Sexual Abuse can recover financial compensation from the abuser and, more commonly, from the church for its failure to protect the victim from the assault, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method of reviewing and resolving to reports of abuse. If you are a survivor of Priest or Clergy Sexual Assault and would like to confidentially discuss your situation and your legal options, we are ready to speak with you.