Religious groups in UK failing children over sex abuse
There are "shocking failings" and "blatant hypocrisy" in the way major UK religious groups handle child sex abuse allegations, an inquiry has found.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said some religious organisations in England and Wales were "morally failing" children.
It examined evidence from 38 groups, including those from Christianity, Orthodox Judaism and Islam.
Leaders discouraged reporting abuse to protect reputations, the report found.
It said the religious leaders also blamed victims for their abuse, and relied on religious dogma when responding to allegations.
The report, which follows on from inquiries into the Catholic and Anglican Churches, comes after several weeks of public hearings held last year in which victims of abuse gave evidence.
It covers a series of religious groups including Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and non-conformist Christian denominations.
The report said that many religious groups were putting children at risk by:
Victim blaming
Not openly discussing matters of sexuality
Abuse of power by religious leaders
Men dominating the leadership
Mistrust of non-religious agencies
Misusing the concept of "forgiveness"
The inquiry found that in some communities "the relationship between ideas of sexual 'purity' and social and familial standing are likely to make abuse markedly harder to report".
"The imperative not to speak is bound up with notions of honour, with consequences for an individual's ability to marry, for their family and for the 'honour' of their community. In extreme cases, being seen as dishonourable can lead to violence against that individual or their family," it said.
While the inquiry's press release was strongly worded, the report itself was more measured and Lloyd Evans, who campaigns against abuse in the Jehovah's Witnesses, told BBC News it was "wishy washy".
Mr Evans, a former elder of the Jehovah's Witnesses, suggested that IICSA did not look at as much data as it could have - and that part of the problem was that the inquiry was "under-funded".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58420270?a...gn=KARANGA
The question is, is anyone surprised??
There are "shocking failings" and "blatant hypocrisy" in the way major UK religious groups handle child sex abuse allegations, an inquiry has found.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said some religious organisations in England and Wales were "morally failing" children.
It examined evidence from 38 groups, including those from Christianity, Orthodox Judaism and Islam.
Leaders discouraged reporting abuse to protect reputations, the report found.
It said the religious leaders also blamed victims for their abuse, and relied on religious dogma when responding to allegations.
The report, which follows on from inquiries into the Catholic and Anglican Churches, comes after several weeks of public hearings held last year in which victims of abuse gave evidence.
It covers a series of religious groups including Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and non-conformist Christian denominations.
The report said that many religious groups were putting children at risk by:
Victim blaming
Not openly discussing matters of sexuality
Abuse of power by religious leaders
Men dominating the leadership
Mistrust of non-religious agencies
Misusing the concept of "forgiveness"
The inquiry found that in some communities "the relationship between ideas of sexual 'purity' and social and familial standing are likely to make abuse markedly harder to report".
"The imperative not to speak is bound up with notions of honour, with consequences for an individual's ability to marry, for their family and for the 'honour' of their community. In extreme cases, being seen as dishonourable can lead to violence against that individual or their family," it said.
While the inquiry's press release was strongly worded, the report itself was more measured and Lloyd Evans, who campaigns against abuse in the Jehovah's Witnesses, told BBC News it was "wishy washy".
Mr Evans, a former elder of the Jehovah's Witnesses, suggested that IICSA did not look at as much data as it could have - and that part of the problem was that the inquiry was "under-funded".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58420270?a...gn=KARANGA
The question is, is anyone surprised??
The meek shall inherit the Earth, the rest of us will fly to the stars.
Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups
Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud ..... after a while you realise that the pig likes it!
Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups
Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud ..... after a while you realise that the pig likes it!
