It takes a lot of courage to report sexual misconduct. Especially when the victim is a child and the offender is a person in a position of authority, reporting what happened can be a very intimidating idea.
When children let a trusted adult know what happened, they expect that person to take appropriate action. A child abused by the priest, minister or similar clergy member might report what happens either to their parents or a teacher. They might even reach out to someone within the religious hierarchy.
Unfortunately, those who hear about child sexual abuse do not always respond as they should. They may try to protect an organization instead of a victim.
Cover-ups are common and well-documented
The Catholic Church could potentially be liable for the conduct of priests, especially given that priests take a vow of poverty and own very little property in their own names. The same is true of other churches whose clergy members abuse children.
As such, those in leadership positions who learn about a clergy member’s sexual misconduct may try to convince the victim to stay quiet. Other times, they might destroy records or transfer the offending clergy member to a different location instead of documenting the abuse and turning them over to the authorities, as would be appropriate.
People who have records of their attempts to report sexual abuse in the past could use the cover-up that followed as part of a case against a broader religious organization, rather than an individual perpetrator.
Taking action in response to sexual abuse by a clergy member is never easy, but it may be the surest path to justice. When internal reporting systems fail, the courts may be the best option available for victims.