Abuse Scandals in the Catholic Church | DW Documentary

May 10, 2023 | All over the world, an increasing number of nuns are coming forward with reports that they have been sexually abused by male clerics. The documentary film provides insights into a deeply disturbing - and barely addressed -- problem within the Catholic church.

The Catholic church has been blighted by sexual abuse scandals for decades. Initially, public awareness was focused on the abuse of children and young people. But a few years ago, reports of another scandal began to emerge, one that the church tried to cover up for a long time: In many parts of the world, nuns claimed they had been raped by senior clerics. Some of the revelations also concerned high-ranking Vatican dignitaries.

Nuns who become pregnant were either threatened with expulsion from their communities or forced into abortions. These offenses, some committed in systematic fashion, were mostly ignored. In the cases that went public and therefore demanded investigation, the accused priests were acquitted by Vatican courts. But over the past two decades, the wall of silence began to crumble. In spite of explicit reports, also directed at the Holy See, for a long time the Vatican did nothing to stop the abuse and sometimes systematic sexual enslavement of nuns.

In February 2019, Pope Francis broke the taboo, admitting for the first time that the abuse of nuns and sisters had taken place within the Catholic Church - and that the problem was ongoing. Work on this documentary film had already begun three years before. In numerous countries in Europe, North America and West Africa, filmmakers Eric Quintin and Marie-Pierre Raimbault spoke to nuns who suffered sexual violence at the hands of priests. The film hears from nuns, mother superiors, priests and people who worked closely with Pope Francis. Their accounts shine a disturbing light on a Catholic Church scandal that’s been shrouded in secrecy for far too long.


WARNING: This disturbing documentary is definitely NOT suitable for children. – Mark

He Blew the Whistle on the Catholic Church in 1985. Why Didn’t We Listen?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As an investigative reporter, Jason Berry exposed the church’s systematic cover-up of sexual abuse. Somehow, it wasn’t enough

Nearly 20 years ago, an investigation by The Boston Globe into sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests ignited a firestorm of scandal that has traveled around the world. For many Americans, these shocking revelations — especially of the related cover-ups by the church — came out of nowhere, almost like a bolt of lightning. But the sobering reality is that this bolt of lightning had been striking for at least 15 years. Read the short article and watch the disturbing video here » | Ben Proudfoot | Mr. Proudfoot is an Emmy-winning filmmaker. | Tuesday, August 14, 2021

So much for organised religion! This is disgusting! Truly disgusting! It begs many questions: Why is there so much perversion in the Roman Catholic Church? Why does the RCC attract so many perverts? Who wants or needs to be preached to by these perverts on issues of morality anyway? And where do they get the audacity from to lecture people on being gay when they engage in truly disgusting sexual abuse like this?

We’ve all known about the goings on in the Roman Catholic Church (and other churches, too), but when you watch a video such as this one, it is a sad reminder that much of religion is a sick joke! This is far removed from the teachings of Jesus Christ. – @ Mark

Egypt : When a Search Crosses the Line

THE NEW YORK TIMES: These women crossed paths with the Egyptian justice system./ Each said she was sexually abused by the authorities.

These women were either arrested for speaking out or had gone to the authorities to report a crime.

In each case, they said, they were sexually abused by the officials sworn to protect them.

Whether they are victims of crimes, witnesses or the accused, women who encounter Egypt’s criminal justice system risk being taken aside and stripped, groped, prodded and violated.

This treatment is illegal, but in this authoritarian and patriarchal country, there is almost nothing they can do about it.

The women in these videos, speaking publicly for the first time, described sexual violations that they said were committed in police stations, prisons and hospitals. » | By Mona El-Naggar, Yousur Al-Hlou and Aliza Aufrichtig | Monday, July 5, 2021

Read in Arabic HERE »

Rochdale Grooming Trial: Police Knew about Sex Abuse in 2002 But Failed to Act
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Police and social workers failed to tackle the issue of Asian men grooming under-age white girls for up to a decade, the Daily Telegraph can reveal.

The mother of a girl who gave evidence in the trial of nine Asian men convicted of child sex offences has shown this newspaper evidence that suggests the authorities were aware of the abuse as long ago as 2002.

An official report by a sexual health adviser, which was passed on to social workers and police in 2005, detailed the kidnap and rape of an underage girl in Rochdale, where the gang was operating, but the authorities failed to act.

They have now been accused of ignoring evidence of the rapes because they were frightened of being accused of racism. » | Nigel Bunyan | Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Related here and here

Grooming Offences Committed Mostly by Asian Men, Says Ex-Barnardo's Chief

THE GUARDIAN: Martin Narey urges inquiry into why Pakistanis and Afghans are 'overrepresented' in child exploitation crimes in northern towns

The former head of Barnardo's has said that grooming of teenage girls for sex in the north of England appears to be "overwhelmingly" carried out by men of Pakistani and Afghan origin and urged and investigation into the issue.

Martin Narey's comments came as nine men – one from Afghanistan and the rest of Pakistani backgrounds – await sentencing for being part of a child exploitation gang that passed vulnerable girls around a group of men for sex in the Heywood area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2008 and 2009.

He said he was not stigmatising the Asian community as a whole, noting that during his time managing the prison service – prior to joining Barnardo's – sex offenders were "overwhelmingly white", but the Labour MP Keith Vaz warned that the BNP was setting the agenda.

Narey told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "For this particular type of crime, the street grooming of teenage girls in northern towns … there is very troubling evidence that Asians are overwhelmingly represented in the prosecutions for such offences."

The former Barnardo's chief executive said he did not know the reason for their "overrepresentation" and rejected the idea they were specifically targeting white girls. He suggested that vulnerable girls on the streets were more likely to be white, while Asian girls subjected to strict parenting were more likely to be at home and so less prone to fall victim to such crimes. He added: "I'm not saying this is just Asian or Pakistani men… [but] street trafficking in the north does appear be overwhelmingly about Pakistani and Afghan men." » | Haroon Siddique | Wednesday, May 09, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Rochdale grooming trial: Police accused of failing to investigate paedophile gang for fear of appearing racist – Police and social workers were last night accused of failing to investigate an Asian paedophile gang for fear of being perceived as racist, allowing them to prey on up to 50 young white girls. » | Nigel Bunyan | Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Related »

Rochdale Grooming Trial: Gang Convicted for Sex Trafficking
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Six members of a gang who preyed on under-age white girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester have become the first in Britain to be convicted of sex trafficking.


They and three other men used a one-time victim to recruit other girls so they could be driven to “chill” houses around the north of England for sordid sex.

Some of the teenagers had sex willingly, but others were raped by up to five men at a time.

The paedophiles who paid small sums of money for the frequently violent encounters were predominantly British Pakistanis.

Of the 11 defendants on trial at Liverpool Crown Court, 10 were Pakistani and the other an Afghan asylum seeker. » | Nigel Bunyan | Tuesday, May 08, 2012

BBC: Rochdale grooming trial: Nine found guilty of child sex charges: Nine men have been convicted of being part of a child sexual exploitation ring in Greater Manchester. ¶ The men, from Rochdale and Oldham, "groomed" girls, one as young as 13. ¶ Liverpool Crown Court heard the men plied their victims with drink and drugs so they could "pass them around" and use them for sex. ¶ The case, involving Asian defendants and white victims, sparked protests by far-right groups but police insist the grooming was not "racially motivated". ¶ The offences which centred on Heywood included rape, trafficking girls for sex and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. ¶ Two of the defendants on trial, Qamar Shazad and Liaquat Shah both of Rochdale, were acquitted and walked free from court. » | Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Pope Ally Offers Resignation in Germany Over Abuse Claims
THE TELEGRAPH: A close friend and ally of the Pope Benedict XVI, has offered to resign over allegations that he abused children in his care.

Bishop Walter Mixa. Photo: The Telegraph
Bishop Walter Mixa of Augsburg, in southern Germany, denied for weeks that he had used violence against youngsters. But the bishop from the Pope's native Bavaria later admitted that he "may have" slapped the children while a priest decades ago.

Some of the victims, who are now adults, allege that he hit them in the face with full force and beat their bare skin, shouting: "Satan is in you and I must drive him out."

In his letter of resignation to the Pope, the bishop wrote: "I ask the forgiveness of all those to whom I may have been unfair and to those who I may have caused heartache."

The 68-year-old bishop said he was "fully aware of my own weaknesses" and would co-operate with investigators.

A statement released by the diocese said: "With his resignation, he wants to avert further damage to the Church and to allow a new start."

Adding to Bishop Mixa's troubles, a special investigator has found financial irregularities at the children's home he was in charge of at around the same time as the allegations of beatings.

The case does not involve allegations of sexual abuse. However, the bishop, who was appointed by the Pope in 2005, is a controversial figure who has tried to explain paedophilia in the Church by claiming the sexual liberation movement must share a "significant" part of the blame. >>> Nick Squires in Rome | Thursday, April 22, 2010

Abus sexuels : Un avocat américain demande au pape de témoigner sous serment
Benoît XVI a condamné l’avortement lors d’une messe, mais n’a pas abordé les scandales de pédophilie qui bouleversent l’église catholique. Photo : Le Temps
LE TEMPS: Benoît XVI n’a fait aucune mention en lançant les célébrations pascales ce matin des affaires d’abus sexuels qui ébranlent le monde catholique. Un avocat américain vient de déposer une requête pour obtenir que le pape témoigne sous serment dans le cadre de plusieurs dossiers de prêtres accusés de pédophilie aux Etats-Unis

L’avocat William McMurry estime que le Vatican était au courant depuis longtemps du scandale des enfants violés par des prêtres. Selon sa requête, dont l’AFP s’est procuré copie, Benoît XVI était au courant de ce qu’il se passait aux Etats-Unis alors qu’il était encore cardinal et qu’il présidait la Congrégation de la doctrine de la foi - pendant les 24 ans qui ont précédé son accession à la papauté.

Il a, assure l’avocat, «découragé les procureurs de poursuivre les prêtres mis en cause et a encouragé le silence pour protéger la réputation de l’Eglise catholique». >>> AFP | Jeudi 01 Avril 2010

The Net Is Closing Around Pope Benedict XVI
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL – EDITORIAL: Now that it has been revealed that the pope failed to act against the sexual abuse by clerics when he could have, he has become part of the problem.

The Dutch archbishop, Johannes Simonis, appeared on national television this week to argue that the Dutch Catholic Church had been ignorant of the massive sexual abuse that had taken place within its ranks over the last few decades. If there is one single Roman Catholic prelate who could not argue the same, it is pope Benedict XVI. Archbishop Simonis demonstrated a shocking naiveté by his choice of words. “Wir haben es nicht gewusst,” he said, German for “we didn’t know”. This phrase recalls the excuse German citizens used after the war to explain their failure to prevent atrocities committed by the Nazi regime.

Whether Simonis was telling the truth or not, the pope cannot possibly say he was unaware. In July of 1996, then cardinal Ratzinger, chief ideologist for the Vatican in his capacity as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, received a letter from the archbishop of Milwaukee in the United States. The archbishop asked Ratzinger for advice regarding two priests in his diocese who had sexually abused children in their care. One of them had done so at a school for the deaf. And ecclesiastical authorities knew of the abuse but failed to act.

Ratzinger never even bothered answering the letter. The New York Times revealed this striking example of the Vatican’s callousness and arrogance on Thursday.

The Church is hoping the matter will blow over. Papal spokesman Federico Lombardi called the case “tragic”, but said the Vatican did not learn about the case until the late 1990s. Lombardi made a splash before by going on the offence and saying sexual abuse is not exclusively committed within the Church. But the New York Times’ article goes a long way towards debunking this ‘pot calling the kettle black’ argument.

The net is closing around pope Benedict XVI. His letter to the Irish faithful last weekend was full of consoling words, but little promise of action. It was mostly political in nature and an attempt at damage control. >>> Editorial | Friday, March 26, 2010

Iran Inmates 'Tortured to Death'
BBC: Iran's defeated opposition presidential candidate has said that some protesters held after last month's disputed poll were tortured to death in prison.

The claim by Mehdi Karroubi comes days after he said a number of prisoners, both male and female, had been raped. Officials deny the rape claims, but admit that abuses have taken place.

The BBC's Jon Leyne says the opposition uses the issue to maintain political pressure without directly questioning Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's poll victory.

On Thursday, Mr Karroubi alleged that a number of detainees had been tortured to death.

"Some young people are beaten to death just for chanting slogans in [post-election] protests," his website said.

Mr Karroubi also called for the formation of an independent committee to review his evidence in "a calm atmosphere".

On Sunday, the defeated presidential candidate claimed that some opposition protesters were raped in detention.

The claim was supported by a number of human rights groups but quickly dismissed as "totally baseless" by the speaker of Iran's parliament, Ali Larijani.

"Based on parliament's investigations, detainees have not been raped or sexually abused in Iran's Kahrizak and Evin prisons," said. >>> | Thursday, August 13, 2009

Pope ‘Ashamed’ of Abuse by Clergy
Photo of President Bush meeting Pope Benedict courtesy of the BBC
BBC: Pope Benedict XVI has said he is "deeply ashamed" of sexual abuse by clergy in the US Catholic Church.

The Pope vowed to work to prevent paedophiles from becoming priests as he flew to Washington at the beginning of his first visit to the US as pontiff.

In recent years, the US Catholic Church has paid $2bn (£1bn) to settle clergy sexual abuse cases.

US President George W Bush made the unusual gesture of greeting the Pope on his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base.

During his trip, the Pope will address the UN, celebrate two masses, pray at Ground Zero and visit a synagogue.

The Pope told reporters on board the flight to Washington: "We will absolutely exclude paedophiles from the sacred ministry." Pope ‘Ashamed’ of US Clergy Abuse >>>

BBC:
Pope May Find US on His Wavelength >>>

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
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