CHICAGO (IL)
The Chicago Tribune
March 11, 2019
Editorial Board
Editorials reflect the opinion of the Editorial Board, as determined by the members of the board, the editorial page editor and the publisher.
“Leaving Neverland,” the HBO documentary alleging Michael Jackson sexually abused two young boys, examines an insidious aspect of child sex abuse: the way predators might groom children and even parents to build intimacy and trust.
Unfortunately, many of these alleged behaviors are only clear in retrospect. Gifts and outings with an admired adult may seem normal and even welcome. The child is flattered. The parents are proud. Only later might the plot become clear.
Jackson died in 2009. His family and estate have long denied the allegations contained in “Leaving Neverland.” But the documentary raises uncomfortable questions about predatory behavior. Among them: How does a mother luxuriate in a hotel suite while her young son is in bed with a grown man a few floors away? At least part of the answer is a grooming process in which victim and family come to trust and care for the accused predator. Viewers may pat themselves on the back for being smart enough not to let their children sleep with a gloved pop star. But look at Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics doctor accused of molesting hundreds of girls and grooming an entire community. Or at the hundreds of abuser priests who were widely trusted figures.
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