Rape in Church :- Wolves among the Flock

 Rape in Church :- Wolves among the Flock

This is an open letter to all Religious Institutions on behalf of the Victim’s Advocates Community. 

All religious institutions have the duty to protect their congregation and advocate against the evils of sex crimes.
I would like to call on all religious institutions to ensure that their staff are equipped with the training and knowledge necessary to assist victims of sex crimes. 
            Furthermore, I would like to encourage religious leaders and their support staff to be especially mindful of sensitive cases where instances of rape or sexual violence are occur among their congregations.  
            Every major religious institution should codify a policy to deal with victims of sex crimes. The aim of such a policy should be to encourage an atmosphere of openness and honesty where victims can come forward and receive the support necessary to make reports to the police.
            It is an unfortunate fact that religious institutions worldwide have in the past attempted to protect sex offenders among their leadership and not the victims. In order to prevent this we must continue having conversations about sex crimes and increase our awareness of the issues. 
            Globally the World Health Organization has found that 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence mostly from intimate partners.             
            In the local rape case of Gregory Donner v The State Cr. A. No. 25 of 2005 we see a tragedy unfold within a church community.  The victim of the rape in this case knew her rapist by meeting him at church. The rapist attended church services 3 times a week. The rape itself occurred just before the young persons were to attend a church camp.
            At paragraph 36 deals with the evidence given by the pastor of the church detailing  what the victim said to her after the rape occurred. Overall, this case highlights the fact that sex crimes do occur among religious congregations in Trinidad and Tobago despite a lack of hard statistics to provide further information. 
            In my personal experience, I have actually seen a male pedophile who was previously charged but not convicted for sexual offences attempting to groom young girls in a church.  The pedophile in question was a member of the lay-staff in charge of the collection basket, ironically in a similar position to Judas Iscariot.
              Sex crimes are therefore a threat that religious institutions need to address comprehensively.  It is imperative that research be conducted on this area and with regards to all issues relating to sex crimes to inform stakeholders how best to address the issue.
            In closing, I would like to call on all religious leaders to work more closely with the NGO community and other stakeholders on this issue to ensure that  the necessary emotional and spiritual support is given to victims in a nonjudgmental environment.


This letter was published in the Sunday Guardian 11th of October 2015