Our Opinion: We All Have a Role in Ending Sexual Abuse

Great Falls Tribune
August 12, 2012

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120812/OPINION/308120017/Our-Opinion-We-all-role-ending-sexual-abuse?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|p&nclick_check=1

This week eight more people joined a lawsuit claiming the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena knew or should have known that clergy were committing sexual abuse.

That’s not surprising. Attorneys are aggressively working to give victims the opportunity to join class action suits, spreading the word with letters to pools of people that may include victims and running newspaper advertisements.

Abuse, including sexual abuse, within the Catholic church is no longer a poorly kept secret, as many of such lawsuits allege was the case in the past.

Worldwide closet doors swung open, victims told their stories and in some cases, perpetrators of the crimes went to jail.

The ads run for one of the lawsuits say “It happened in Montana” and show photos of clergy members accused of abuse.

It’s a horrifying reality check for those who knew those clergy members, sent their children to schools where they worked or worshiped in parishes where they served.

But that horror is nothing compared with what victims went through.

Cover up, both institutional or by individuals, should be made accountable now.

The Diocese is working cooperatively to seek out victims and pursuing a settlement.

Abuse within the Catholic church isn’t a new story. In fact this is just the latest page in a very long, very old tragedy.

It’s hardly a tragedy unique to the Catholic church.

Why do stories such as Penn State and Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno continue?

There is no explanation to excuse it. Without exception there must be consequences for abusers and anyone failing to report abuse, suspected or confirmed.

But when contemplating what failed in such cases and left victims unprotected, don’t we all need to ask ourselves, are we doing our part?

Do we pay attention to hunches that something isn’t right?

Do we make a call if we have a suspicion?

Do we do our part to make sure children and others are victimized by predators?

The only hope to closing such tragedies is when more of us do just that.