When clergy abuse comes to light, the alleged perpetrator may say that they were in a consensual relationship with the victim. This doesn’t apply in all cases, of course. Many clergy abuse cases involve minors, and there is no way for them to consent to a sexual relationship. It is simply an example of abuse no matter what.
But in other cases, the person being abused is also an adult. One of the biggest issues is that there is a major power imbalance between the clergy member and the parishioner. This may mean that the relationship is not as consensual as it appears.
Does this lead to manipulation?
For example, imagine that the parishioner believes this clergy member is in charge of whether or not they get to remain in their home church or even within their chosen religion. The parishioner also believes that their religious involvement is going to have an impact on their spiritual life, so they are heavily invested in remaining within religion. Leaving does not feel like an option for them.
As such, the clergy member may essentially be able to blackmail them. If the abuse comes to light, the parishioner is afraid that they will be expelled from the congregation and perhaps even shunned in their community. Because they think that this has big-picture spiritual connotations, they may take drastic steps – like agreeing not to report abuse – just to stay involved with the religion.
In some ways, this is similar to relationships in the workplace, where an entry-level worker may be blackmailed by a CEO who has the power to fire them if they speak up.
These power imbalances can make clergy abuse cases quite contentious and complicated. Those involved must be aware of their legal options.