Afr - SNAP Blasts Cardinal Turkson's Claims about Abuse in Africa

By Barbara Dorris
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
February 19, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/afr_snap_blasts_cardinal_turkson_s_claims_about_abuse_in_africa

To say that Cardinal Peter Turkson’s claims about clergy abuse in Africa are uninformed would be far too kind. We hope this awful comment disqualifies him from consideration as the next pope.

We hear less about clergy sex crimes and cover ups in Africa for the same reasons we do throughout the developing world: there tends to be lesser funding for law enforcement, less vigorous civil justice systems, less independent journalism, and an even greater power and wealth difference between church officials and their congregants.

So when we hear Turkson’s assertion that the sexual abuse crisis hasn’t come to Africa because of cultural reasons that demonize homosexuality, we can’t help but be upset and worried. Not only is the link between homosexuality and child abuse a fallacy, but it is a weak shield to hide behind.

It's hard to address a crisis you don't think exists. So we fear for the safety of kids in Turkson's diocese if he denies there are predatory priests there.

It’s far more likely that Turkson’s brother bishops in Africa have been involved in covering up clergy sex abuse crimes just like their colleagues across the globe. To pretend that Turkson’s home is devoid of the problem is erroneous, and offensive to still-suffering victims in Africa.