Another Victim of Sexual Abuse Becomes Victim of LDS Church, Too
The theme of abuse that is not reported and is, in fact, covered up by the LDS hierarchy, is one of the strong plots that runs through WIVES AND SISTERS. It is also one that I get the most hatemail about, as Mormon writer after Mormon writer proclaims that this does NOT happen. “The Church does NOT cover these cases up. They do NOT try to handle these cases themselves, without consulting authorities.”
BULLSHIT. Here is yet another case where authorities were NOT notified until the PARENTS of the victim went to the police themselves!
And while the abuse happened years before, its revelation, subsequent excommunication of the abuser, and criminal charges (which were dropped due to technicalities) were as recent as 2003. And the family involved is still going through the pain of all the events. While the LDS Church continues to claim they find abuse among the most heinous of crimes, ecclesiastical leaders are still trying to keep these cases lowkey and hidden, thus aiding the abusers. The only REAL solution is proper training for ALL Church leaders. And I mean training, not a laying on of hands and a “here you go. Here’s the Church handbook.”
The case I’ve mentioned here is even more sad, because the now-grown victim has accepted he is gay, and for that reason, members of the ward where the abuses took place–and the abuser was a bishop–have EMBRACED THE ABUSER and shunned the victim.
Yes the abuser was excommunicated. Yes a flag went into his “Church” record. But he was NEVER charged with any crime, and thus could, easily, abuse other young men. In fact, another young man DID come forward.
And Mormons who are saying this doesn’t happen? It’s time for a wakeup call. DAVE could be living in your neighborhood. Among your children. And he could be friends with YOUR underage son. You, of course, will never know this, because he was not charged with a crime, and is not tagged as a sex offender. And you can be damn sure YOUR bishop isn’t going to tell you.
How comfortable does that make you?
June 10th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
And I would not be surprised if Casey and his family are receiving hate mail as well–after all, how dare they tell the world that Mormon lives are not perfect?
June 10th, 2006 at 9:42 pm
Excellent commentary Natalie. And so very true on so many levels.
Just last weekend my mother and I had a…hmmmm…loud discussion about the Boy Scouts and the ACLU. My mother contents that Boy Scouts should be allowed to use public parks, despite the fact they openly discriminate against gays.
Mother: “They have to fight child abuse.”
I counted back at the unbeliveably high ration of “straight” child molesters opposed to those who are admittedly and openly gay. The cherry on top of the arguement, my arguement, was a man she knew who was a scout leader with his wife, who was successfully prosecuted for child molestation…. I rest my case.
Until churches openly condemn, weed out, and prosecute child molesters within the organization or congregations ranks it will continue to be a problem condoned/covered up by the church.
June 11th, 2006 at 11:06 am
My grandfather was accused and convicted of child molestation, not once but twice by two separate kids in his Utah valley neighborhood. After he got out of jail the first time his ward gave him a calling: Teaching the six-year olds (CTRs? It’s been a while, I don’t remember what that age group is called). I can guarantee you none of the parents of the children he was teaching knew about his recent past. He did that for a year before the second accusation and conviction. He was never excommunicated, and never put before a “court of love” either.
June 11th, 2006 at 11:24 am
That stinks.
I know for a fact that they won’t do anything to stop unwanted touching adult to adult, either. In the ward I used to attend there was a man who had some kind of hair fetish. He was always asking the women of the ward if he could do their hair (he was not a licensed cosmetologist). He was long married in the temple, by the way. I’m sure I don’t know why his wife put up with his shenannegans, which were completely out in the open.
Anyway, I have very long hair, and he would always come up to me at church and, without asking, start playing with my hair. I asked him to stop. Repeatedly. When he would not I asked that something be done to stop it. I was told, “Oh, it’s harmless. He’s just like that.” As if I had no rights in the matter at all. It was one of the reasons I quit going to church.
Now, of course, this experience of mine certainly doesn’t rise to the level of offense reported in the article you linked to, but it perfectly illustrates how the church feels about personal boundaries and that mere women and children are not protected from priesthood holders who can’t keep their hands to themselves.
Elaine
June 11th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
I am sorry to hear about the abuse that Casey received not only from his abuser but also from the church-goers. I am not surprised.
Cyn
June 12th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
This is going to happen in any organized religion. They watch out for the bottom line. If they have a bad outward appearance then contributions drop. No money - no power. You can bet your hinny that none of them volunteer information about abuse by church authorities.
What about gay missionaries? What do they do with these guys when they get back from two years of being “partners”? Laying on of hands, lips and . . .
Grrrrrrrrrr,
Howy
June 12th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Howy - you must’ve watched either really bad porn or seen “Latter Day” a too few many times. What ABOUT those gay missionaries - if anything, pity them that they didn’t have the emotional support to stand on their own and felt like they HAD to go on a bullshit mission in the first place. So what if they practiced “laying on of hands”?
Troll.
The Mormon Church is just the next mini-Catholic abuse story, waiting to happen. The Mormon Church and the Catholics both have a built-in system of secrecy and cover-ups.
The solution: the abused need to sue, sue hard, and bankrupt them both.
June 12th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Sis Sid Sid,
I’m not against porn, gay Momo missionaries or combinations of the two. Not for it either. Actually didn’t know the Momos had a porn division. Which Stake is that? See, you move away from Utah and they start all the fun stuff!!! You seem to be up on it. Maybe a title listing or your own page of gay Momo porn would be more to your leaning. Help us out, Sid.
I don’t pity people that have a spine and choose not to use it. Nor do I pity those that choose to call others names from afar. Perhaps I should.
The reference to the gay Momo missionaries was not intended to slam them but to take a slap at the church. The reference to the “laying on of hands” was aimed at the church, not you. If I inadvertently slapped you . . . tough noogies. Here’s some unsolicited advice. Spend some time designing a new ribbon for your cause. We never have enough of those ribbons. Something to read at stop lights.
InthenameofangryexmomomissionariesandofcoursetheOsmondsamen,
Howy
June 24th, 2006 at 7:42 am
B.S. Is absolutely correct! I was raped and victimized for four and a half years by an “elder” of my church. It started when I was 15. He was the father of the family I used to baby sit for and his wife encouraged us to be alone all the time. When I finally had a support group outside the church (I was in an outpatient alcohol treatment program- go figure) I brought this abuse to light. I was nearly excommunicated in the process. The bishop at the time was this mans brother-in-law. I was pressured into leaving town which I finally did. My counselor’s filed a report against this man but the church never did. Without their records of him admitting I was only 15 there was no way to prove it and he wasn’t prosecuted. Now that he is finally divorced, he met a young mormon on line with a 10 year old daughter. She is visiting him right now with plans to move cross country with her child to be with him and the bishop is not saying a word about his past. This guy is still excommunicated yet managed to get a profile out on a mormnon dating site! When investigating these sites for myself, I found one that the minimum requirement to post a profile was to be 16. This site has adult profiles as well…………HMMMMM? Sure the church will protect it’s youth! I have a shattered life to prove it.
July 26th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
How rediculous that church authorities keep claiming that doesn’t happen in their church. I wish that were true. It would have saved me almost 5 years of being of raped and molested by a mormon “elder”. When I came forward I was 19 so they treated me as an audulteress piece of trash, not the 15 year old virgin I was when the abuse began. I was almost excommunicated but was then put on church probation and ran out of town. I was point blank told I had to go to college or a mission, that I had to do something with my life elsewhere. How screwed up is that? It was never reported and now the man has found a woman 20 years younger with a 10 year old daughter. I’ve pleaded with the Bishop there to call her in but he says that’s not his place. After this man started raping me, he was in a big hurry to adopt me. This little girl has no chance. Why won’t the church open it’s eyes?
August 9th, 2006 at 10:19 am
Just thought you may be interested to know that the church came out with a new policy- all adult men have to be accompanied by another adult in all primary classes.