Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

Christian Priests Rape Yet More Children, and again their church helps them

168 replies

DominiConnor · 26/04/2007 10:35

\link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6594439.stm\Church of England rsponsible for yet more rapes

But it's all right, honest. No doubt the CoE will say "sorry".
Of course Bishop David Wilcox who smugly talks of acting in the "best interests of the church", will walk free. The police won't even interview him, let alone bang him up.

David Wilcox is worse than any paedophile. Rather than annoy his friends, he covers up for rapists.

Would any other group get away with being accomplices ?
In other threads supporters of the CoE smugly talk of child rape as a purely Catholic issue. They know that to be false, and come Sunday will put their hands in their pockets and fund the rape of children.

OP posts:
Eleusis · 26/04/2007 14:03

You are right maise, I didn't really think that through as I typed quickly. I would do something about it. I'm not bashful and I would blow the whistle loud and clear. But, what Imeant was I would not continue to contribute to a church or any other organisation which condoned such horrific practices.

Marina · 26/04/2007 14:06

What the BBC link doesn't make clear is that Wilcox at any rate is not the current Bishop of Peterborough. So his comments do not represent the views currently held by the Church of England. The same cannot be said about Pearl Luxon unfortunately.

Aloha · 26/04/2007 14:09

It's SO hysterical to be concerned about children being raped, isn't it

maisemor · 26/04/2007 14:15

Thanks for clarifying FFF.

Then I fail to see how "the church could have done the best it could" as stated in the article.

I also fail to see how they (the people who covered for him) can sleep at night knowing that they effectively helped this paedophile stay out of prison. Just by kicking him out of their church, they must know that he would just go elsewhere. But as usual it is amazing how easy it is for people to convince themselves that they are without blame and how easy people forget.

ruty · 26/04/2007 14:16

well aloha let's imagine another thread title [going from edam's experience] 'Schoolteachers rape yet more children and again the govt/Headmaster/PTA helps them' Everyone would come down on the OP like a ton of bricks.

ruty · 26/04/2007 14:18

it is a real shame Marina. My dad tried to get a letter to RW in support of Jeffrey John and it didn't even get read by him, just one of his minions.

Aloha · 26/04/2007 14:23

If there was a history of teachers raping children and not only the headmaster but the local educational authority actually covering up for the rapist and helping them find another job, then yes, I think people would feel pretty outraged about it, justfiably, and I would expect heads to roll at the highest level. If there was evidence of years of conspiracy to hide child abusers in schools at the very highest level, then that too should be brought into the light, with no pussyfooting about.

FiveFingeredFiend · 26/04/2007 14:30

Maisemor, the article is concerned with an Anglican paedophile. so confession ( i thnk?) doesn't factor. However your 'how do they sleep at night' & ' why didn't they call the police' thoughts are completely right.

What is also truly troubling is that the mother went to the Vicar who in turn went to a seior person in the church. But the mother didn't go to the police.

idlemum · 26/04/2007 14:30

DominiConnor - I support you totally on this one even though you go over the top sometimes. It is the rank hypocrisy of the church which gets me on this one. The way the spokesman on Radio4 this morning said they acted ''in the best interests of the church (lenghty pause) and for the children..'' HOW DARE HE put the interests of the church as the primary issue - every time he spoke his platitudes it was the interests of the church he mentioned first.How could they ever have considered not reporting that man to the police is beyond me. They are accessories to a crime.

Aloha · 26/04/2007 14:32

and that dreadful woman wittering on as if this had all happened in the 17th Century or something, instead of at the end of the Eighties.

ruty · 26/04/2007 14:46

glad i didn't hear the idiots they put out as spokespersons this morning - would make me angry too. the church as an institution is beyond repair unfortunately.

Aloha my point is that i am not aware of the Anglican church having a history of covering up endemic child abuse. I am aware of individual cases as i am aware of individual cases in schools. This is not saying the Anglican church is better than the Catholic church, it is not, but i cannot pretend that i believe child abuse is rampant and rife in the CoE anymore than it is elsewhere where adults have close proximity to children. I am aware of child abuse cases in schools just from friends and family - where the teachers were not removed or were just moved on, so if i know of a few cases [ as i know of a few cases of child abuse in the Cof E] then there must be more, in both places. I am not trying to excuse any of the people involved. They should all be brought to justice. I am just warning against making sweeping generalizations against a whole community of people based on, as far as i can see, little evidence.

speedymama · 26/04/2007 14:57

This child abuse case is horrific, especially for the victims. Tarring everybody who works for or worships in in the CofE as somehow culpable is utter nonsense.

DC once accused me of being unintelligent and unable to conduct a logical argument. His rantings show why I take no notice of what he says most of the time.

speedymama · 26/04/2007 14:58

Most child abuse happens in the family btw.

Original poster
DominiConnor · 26/04/2007 15:00

Ruty how many cases count as "endemic" covering up ? It's not the first (or 2nd or 3rd or 4th ) time
Even if you believe that it's isolated, again I come back to the moral bankruptcy of the bulk of the church.
They sit by whilst the people who did the cover up remain on the payroll and get promoted.
One case of this kind would look pretty bad.

OP posts:
Porcupine · 26/04/2007 15:01

Dc whats your beef with the church?
you aheva lto of anger...

GameGirly · 26/04/2007 15:01

Yes, Speedy. And so many family members are aware of what's going on and turn a blind eye.

ruty · 26/04/2007 15:06

but cannot you not accept DC that it is endemic in society, in all institutions? How do you know it is more rife in the CoE than elsewhere? I am not criticizing your moral indignation towards the church's handling of child abuse, i am criticizing your selective moral indignation, where your attitude towards the church suddenly goes all Daily Mail.

speedymama · 26/04/2007 15:06

I know GG. I once did some voluntary work with a youth organisation. A young girl (15yo) confided to me that she was being abused by her older brother and her mother knew about it but did nothing. She begged me not to say anything because she did not want to break up her family. I told someone in authority and social services became involved. I felt bad breaking her trust but I felt I had no choice, especially as he had a younger sister. I really hope I never have to be involved in something like that again.

ruty · 26/04/2007 15:07

cannot you not?

ruty · 26/04/2007 15:14

i would really like to know what kind of level of rape and child abuse goes on or at least went on in public boys schools up to the 80's, if a friend of mine's experiences are anything to go by.

harpsichordcarrier · 26/04/2007 15:19

actually, the CofE isn't "saying sorry" AT ALL
on the radio this morning, the spokesperson talked about these alleged incidents, said she couldn't comment, said that their policies on child protection were robust blablabla.
I think this incident is not isolated and speaks

"But I think also that in accordance with the way things were done in those days the Church can be seen to have done the best it could."

I must say that it a disgraceful fudge. "in those days" I was working and studying in the area of child sex abuse/protection and to suggest that allegations like thiswould not be taken seriously or investigated properly is quite simply untrue, and I am shocked actually that the CofE should seek to avoid their responsibility in this way rather than facing up and making changes. it suggests to me that the organisation hasn't properly faced up to its failings in this area.

GameGirly · 26/04/2007 15:23

So, so sad, Speedy.

ruty · 26/04/2007 15:24

agree HC.

GameGirly · 26/04/2007 15:29

Totally agree that it is a disgrace that the CofE (or at least certain people within it) are sweeping it all under the carpet, but just wanted to point out to DC that it does happen EVERYWHERE and that, unfortunately, all sorts of people try to cover it up.

fannyannie · 26/04/2007 15:30

I have to say that since I was an organ scholar in a CoE church (in the mid 1990's) the rules on child protection within the church have certainly changed. It wasn't at all uncommon for me (as a 14/15yr old girl) to be alone in the church with the organist for extended periods of time - that simply wouldn't happen now.

Certainly in our church all people that are involved with young (under 18) people have to go through all the relevant checks and sign lots of different forms - no adult is supposed to be in a church building with a "minor" without at least one other adult being present. And everyone that runs the Sunday School, Toddler Group, Brownies, Guides, Cubs, Youth Group etc etc have all been CRB checked.

Admittedly I have been in church with some of the youngsters on my own BUT these were children whose parents I am very close friends with so it was on a 'personal' rather than church basis - and I would never been alone with children whose parents I didn't know extremely well and who had 'ok'd' it.