We've seen plenty. Of course, people are sinners. But we really need to think about the institutional and cultural factors which have enabled abuse and which have made it harder for us to deal with these things well. These may include a baffling mixture of:
Celebrity
Clericalism
Deference
Secrecy
An old boy network
A them and us attitude / inner circle
Lack of accountability / oversight
Suspicion of diocese / bishops etc.
Lack of independence for those with a safeguarding role
A faulty concept of forgiveness
Attitudes to celibacy
Attitudes to sex
Attitudes to homosexuality
Attitudes to women
Attitudes to children
Prioritising reputational and institutional protection
Fear of the consequences of speaking up
Fear of the damage of false accusations
A confusion between whistle blowing and gossip / trouble-making
The role of lawyers
Money
Lack of resources for safeguarding
Administrative incompetence / inertia
Optimism about change / the problem going away
And probably a whole lot more.
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