“They did not believe me” Responding to Child Sexual Abuse by Church Personnel in Australia

Dr Jodi DeathSchool of Justice, Queensland University of TechnologyCrime and Justice Research Centrehttp://www.cjrc.qut.edu.au/  

The Context International issue

Sustained waves of disclosure 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s

Continued Civil and Criminal prosecution

Call for a Royal Commission in Australia into child abuse in Religious Institutions Sustained lobbying by survivors and the Greens

(Political Party) Parliamentary Inquiry in Victoria concluded –

report forthcoming Royal Commission announced 12 November 2012

This Study Seeking to hear directly from Australian survivors about their

perspectives including: Age of onset Nature of Abuse Duration Disclosure

To whom When Response

Outcomes

Online survey 81 respondents 49% male 51% female

Qualitative Interviews 15 Participants

Denomination

65%* (n = 39) Roman Catholic

13% (n=8) Anglican

22% (n=10) Other

*NB: Applies to single abuser only 73% (n=61) single abuser only 27% (n=20) multiple abuser (up to 4)

Age Onset of Abuse

3-5

6-10

11-13

14-17

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

2%

44%

36%

19%

Year of Onset

Before 1950

1951 - 1955

1956 - 1960

1961 - 1965

1966 - 1970

1971 - 1975

1976 - 1980

1981 - 1985

1986 - 1990

1991 - 1994

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

5%

8%

3%

18%

15%

13%

10%

15%

7%

5%

Duration of abuse

0- 11 months

1 -2 years

3 – 4 years

4 – 5 years

5 – 6 years

6 -7 years

8 – 9 years

More than 10 years

0 5 10 15 20 25

36%

29%

22%

3%

3%

2%

3%

2%

Frequency of Abuse

Single incident only

Occurred regularly

Frequent incidents over a short period of time

Frequent incidents over a long period of time

Occasional incidents over a long period of time

Daily over a long period of time

Weekly over a long period of time

Other

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

1

12%

17%

21%

16%

0

10%

7%

Nature of Abuse – penetrative acts (n=59)

Anal penetration with a finger

Anal penetration with an object

Anal penetration with their penis

Vaginal penetration with a finger

Vaginal penetration with an object

Vaginal penetration with their penis

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

12%

2%

19%

24%

7%

5%

Nature of Abuse – other acts (n=59)

They made me perform oral sex on them

They performed oral sex on me

They made me masturbate in front of them

They made me masturbate them

They masturbated in front of me

I was made to perform sexual acts with a peer

I was photographed in sexual positions

Other

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

22%

19%

8%

29%

20%

5%

5%

8%

Nature of Abuse – other acts (n=59)

Kissing on the mouth

Watching pornography together

They touched my breasts outside of my clothing

They touched my breasts inside of my clothing

They touched my genitals outside of my clothing

They touched my genitals inside of my clothing

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

24%

10%

22%

22%

47%

71%

Disclosure – at time of abuseAt the time the abuse was occurring 58%

(n=33) participants believed someone else knew the abuse was occurring. Why?

I told them about the sexual abuse

They witnessed the sexual abuse taking place

Another person told them about the sexual abuse

Other

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

33%

19%

4%

44%

Why did you believe someone else knew - other “Incidents took place in his bedroom in monestary

with others knowing I was alone with him with the door shut. They never spoke to me “

“Brother was removed to another school”

“they witnessed and masturbated while they watched “

“One adult witnessed it, another was told about it by several parents”

“ because the priest (abuser) told them”

“I quite obviously hated him, and would avoid him at our house “

Family Context of Disclosure “My parents were grieving for a man who had

sexually abused 3 of their children. To the day he died and 3 days later they still believed in him and trusted him with all their being. They had welcomed him into our home as a Christian Brother, a teacher/tutor and befriended him personally only to have it thrown in their faces. I was disgusted and angry to see them so upset and to hear that my father had confirmed he would carry his coffin. I was so angry, I could not keep quiet any longer, he was dead and I was an adult, I had to say something, I wasn’t going to let him betray my father and keep me silenced from the grave.”

Cost of silence“Yeah - this person died not long after the

abuse stopped - a couple of years - I felt responsible and guilty and was unravelling in my life as a wife and a mother - my own daughter got into an abusive relationship at a very young age and became pregnant and had a child at 16 - I knew during this time that I had my own work to do here as the cost of not doing it was too great for myself and for my offspring”

Official Reporting70% (n=44) had reported their abuse officially

Local priest

Local pastor

Other Priest or Pastor

Diocese

Head of order

Towards Healing

Anglican Professional Standards Board

Child Protection representative in Church or School

Police

School representative

Other Church representative

Other

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

9%

6%

0

14%

3%

29%

6%

6%

54%

3%

20%

17%

Strongest reasons for reporting:1. The protection of children

2. The Church to accept responsibility for the abuse

3. The individual to accept responsibility for the abuse

4. My story to be heard by the Church

5. The individual to be removed from their position

6. Counseling for myself

7. Church investigation

8. Police Investigation

9. Criminal conviction

10. Counseling for myself

Very Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Somewhat Dissatisfied

Neutral

Somewhat Satisfied

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

How satisfied are you with the assistance offered by the religious organisation where the sexual

abuse took place?

Very Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Somewhat Dissatisfied

Neutral

Somewhat Satisfied

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

How satisfied are you that the religious organi-sation has heard your story?

Very Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Somewhat Dissatisfied

Neutral

Somewhat Satisfied

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

How satisfied are you that the religious organi-sation has been truthful in their response to

you?

Very Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Somewhat Dissatisfied

Neutral

Somewhat Satisfied

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

How satisfied are you with any financial set-tlement received from the religious organisa-

tion where the sexual abuse took place?

Very Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Somewhat Dissatisfied

Neutral

Somewhat Satisfied

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

How satisfied are you with the counseling offered by the religious organisation where the sexual

abuse took place?

Official outcomes Moved to another state (n=7)

Removed from duties (n=11) Status unchanged

Defrocked (n=5)

Deceased (n=9)

Suicide (n=1)

Criminal Justice Responses (n=24) Police investigation Prosecution

Conviction No conviction

Overall…The story is not all bad

Participants do report re-victimisation and re-traumatisation through reporting processes within Churches

Participants more satisfied with Police responses, regardless of outcome, than Church responses

Thank you

Questions?

email: jodi.death@qut.edu.au