What to report
Our feature article this week provides directions for spotting tell-tale signs of abuse of children.
Abuse of minors is by no means a modern phenomenon. What we condemn now was an integral part of society in some ancient civilisations. Today, we rightly object to the mistreatment of minors by adults.
The gradual removal of the stigma attached to the victims of sexual abuse, and the corresponding disgrace of perpetrators, has forced the problem into the open, which is a positive development.
The Catholic Church itself has been forced to look at ways to become actively involved in the protection of children, not least because of the traumatic revelations of clerical abuses in the past few years.
Some years ago, the bishops of Southern Africa formulated procedures designed to deal with potential cases of sexual misconduct by Church personnel. The resultant Protocol was a well-intentioned exercise to deal with such cases, albeit only internally.
More recently, it has been criticised for not conforming to the law, which places an onus on institutions such as the Church to report suspected cases of child abuse.
This legislated obligation seems to have caused confusion among Church officials as to which cases should be referred, and what happens afterwards. One particular misperception–perhaps understandable in light of the recent scandals–seems to hinge on the idea that the Church must report only those cases involving its own personnel.
It must be clearly understood: the state requires the Church to report all suspected cases of abuse of minors, regardless of whether the abuser is known or not. (Self-evidently, if alleged abusers are known, they should be brought to book.)
If Church officials observe signs that a child may have been abused, it is their obligations to notify the relevant civil authorities immediately.
The protection of children from future abuse–be it within the family, school or, indeed, the Church–is paramount. In this, the Church has an obligation mandated by Jesus himself (Mt 18-6-7; Lk 17:2).
It must not fail the children again.
- The Look of Christ - May 24, 2022
- Putting Down a Sleeping Toddler at Communion? - March 30, 2022
- To See Our Good News - March 23, 2022