sexual abuse
Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan in custody in France amid rape claims
By Jerome Socolovsky — January 31, 2018
PARIS (AP) — Le Monde and Le Parisien newspapers reported last year that two women recently filed complaints in France against Ramadan for an alleged rape in 2009 and an assault in 2012.
Pope Francis’ blind spot on sexual abuse
By Thomas Reese — January 25, 2018
(RNS) — The fundamental problem is that the church has no process for judging bishops that is transparent and has legitimacy with the public.
Southern Baptist Convention named in suit against prominent layman
By Adelle M. Banks — January 23, 2018
(RNS) — A spokesman for the SBC Executive Committee responded: 'We are satisfied the allegations about the SBC in the amended complaint are without merit.'
On his visit to Chile, Pope Francis does something uncharacteristic … He shows that he is ‘fallible.’
By Martin E. Marty — January 22, 2018
This week count me in among the company of those who believe the Pope made a major mistake in dealing with one issue of priestly (including pontifical) administration: namely, a sexual abuse case.
Pope apologizes to abuse victims but defends Chilean bishop
By Nicole Winfield — January 22, 2018
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis apologized for insisting that victims of pedophile priests show 'proof' to be believed, saying he realized it was a 'slap in the face' to victims that he never intended.
Droves fill pope’s final Mass in restive Latin America trip
By Nicole Winfield — January 22, 2018
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Pope Francis was greeted by cheering crowds at nearly every stop of his Peru trip, but the cloud of sex abuse scandal trailed him.
Where is the Church on #MeToo?
By Autumn Miles — January 18, 2018
(RNS) — The Church has operated under a cloud of shame and silence for decades.
Ex-Mormons launch FaithLeaks to root out abuse and corruption in churches
By Yonat Shimron — January 10, 2018
(RNS) — The site is intended to allow people to anonymously submit documents that shed light on three main areas: congregational finances, church policies and procedures and documents related to sex abuse settlements.
When Moses had a #MeToo moment
By Jeffrey Salkin — January 1, 2018
(RNS) — This year was saw the Tiananmen Square of Testosterone. Moses saw it coming.
Clergy abuse victims haunted by sex harassment news
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — December 22, 2017
"The parallels are in the power dynamics," said one victim struggling, again, with the memory of being abused by a priest. "It puts the victim at a horrible disadvantage."
Female evangelical leaders call on the church to speak out on violence against women
By Emily McFarlan Miller — December 20, 2017
(RNS) — Signers of the #SilenceIsNotSpiritual statement include more than 140 pastors, professors, heads of parachurch organizations and popular authors and speakers such as Jen Hatmaker, Rachel Held Evans, Ann Voskamp, Amena Brown and Helen Lee.
Winter inside the Church and the hope of Christmas
By Boz Tchividjian — December 19, 2017
(RNS) — My 20 years of confronting and addressing sexual abuse within churches and other faith organizations has convinced me that abuse within the church will only end when professing Christians stop distorting Jesus for the purposes of excusing abusive behavior and silencing the abused.
Influential Southern Baptist layman Paul Pressler subject of sex abuse suit
By Adelle M. Banks — December 11, 2017
(RNS) — A lawyer representing parties in the case called it 'an attempt to extort money from the Pressler family' and others.
Founder of nation’s largest Christian music festival charged with child molestation
By Emily McFarlan Miller — December 8, 2017
(RNS) — Harry Thomas, founder of the Creation Festival, has been 'indefinitely suspended' from leadership of the festival and his church after he was arrested Wednesday (Dec. 6) on charges of child molestation.
Father Roy Moore would be suspended
By Thomas Reese — December 7, 2017
(RNS) — The Republican Party has not learned from the mistakes of the Catholic bishops in dealing with sexual abuse. They are operating out of the same playbook as the bishops did before they wised up and changed their policies.
