Boundary Violations Without Borders

According to Richard Sipe in his recent article "Clerical Sex, Blackmail and Sexual Abuse," Catholica (November 2008):

Thirty percent of German priests are reported to have women companions. The number in the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland is arguably fifty percent. Estimates for the African and South American clergy run much higher.

These "companions" have found it useful to form support groups in many countries to help each other in their difficult situation. Websites for these support groups indicate that women suffer as a result of clandestine relationships with priests which keep them in isolation from their families and friends; keep them in hiding; keep them alone in raising the children begotten in these relationships; keep them fearful of the future.

The Vatican's stance on the children of priests?

"Vatican denies it would accept priests' children." Momento24 (August 3, 2009).

John Allen. "Vatican denies studying new rules for priests who father kids." NCR Online (August 3, 2009).

For more on priests with children, see news stories below.

Living in Deceit

Angela Bonavoglia puts the matter squarely in her book, Good Catholic Girls (2005):

[T]he crisis in the Church is … fundamentally, about hypocrisy … That heterosexual and homosexual behavior may thrive in the Catholic priesthood … is an indictment of the hypocrisy … that condones, indeed, demands, lying about the reality of one's sexual life at all costs. (p 107, emphasis added)

Rabbi Steven Fisdel discusses the consequences of such hypocrisy in his article "Spiritual Leaders Must Reaffirm Integrity after Gafni," published in The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California (June 8, 2006):

It should be clear that anyone in a spiritual leadership position bears an enormous responsibility to adhere to the truth and must be held to the highest moral and ethical standards. … Immoral behavior by clergy, be it physical or verbal in form, disturbs and disrupts the faith of the victims as well as bringing their belief in the truth of the Torah's teachings into question … If you cannot trust the messenger, how can you trust the message?

In a 2003 article by Jenifer Johnston. "Helpline for priests' secret lovers," in The Sunday Herald (January 19, 2003), Peter Kearney, director of the media office of the Catholic Church in Scotland, states:

"If there are all these women and priests out there having affairs, then they are doing very well to keep it a secret."

"Pope deplores priests' infidelities to their vows." Associated Press (June 18, 2009).

Pope Benedict XVI deplored priests who were unfaithful to their vows [saying that] … "the church herself suffers as a consequence of infidelity on the part of some of her ministers. Then it is the world which finds grounds for scandal and rejection" …

Inappropriate Sexual Relationships

News Articles from Around the World

Nicholas Kulish. "German Church Faces Child Abuse Charges."New York Times (February 10, 2010).
… the German magazine Der Spiegel published an article last weekend that said nearly 100 clerics and laypeople had been suspected of abusing children and teenagers nationwide since 1995.

… [Last year in Ireland] a report by the Irish government detailed the physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children by Catholic priests in church-run residential schools, many of them run by the Christian Brothers. The report found that both the Catholic hierarchy and Irish state agencies covered up complaints by 320 Irish children who said they were abused by priests between 1974 and 2004.

Nicole Winfield. "Italian Catholic scandal draws in Pope Benedict." Belleville News-Democrat (February 9, 2010).
The scandal erupted in August, when the newspaper Il Giornale reported that it had court documents showing the editor of the newspaper of the Italian Bishops' Conference (Avvenire editor Dino Boffo) had paid to settle charges that he harassed the wife of a man he was romantically pursuing.

"'Sex mad' vicar (Stephen Smith) who prayed after making love with female churchgoer is suspended." Daily Mail Reporter (February 9, 2010).

Keely Knowles. "'Unwell' vicar is rested after being 'naughty'." Bedforshire News (February 5, 2010).
Rev Littleford read out a statement from the Bishop of Bedford. "… vicar Rev Stephen Smith had been suspended for six months because of his inappropriate behaviour with a lady member of our congregation."

The Bishop of Hertford, the Rt Rev Christopher Foster … has determined that the Rev Stephen Smith should be prohibited from exercising any functions as a member of the clergy for six months. … "This is a significant penalty [according to the bishop] …"

"Pastor on rape charge." Pretoria News (January 13, 2010).
A Zion Christian Church pastor who allegedly raped a woman churchgoer appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court yesterday, Johannesburg police said.

"Funeral tributes for shamed priest Father Gerry Nugent." Evening Times, Scotland (January 12, 2010).
He hit the headlines after admitting a sexual relationship with Angelina Kluk, who was murdered by Peter Tobin.

Dumisani Sibanda. "Roman Catholic priest mired in sex allegations." Sunday News, Zimbabwe (January 10, 2010).
She told Sunday News that when she fell in love with the priest (Cephas Gumbo), who initially identified himself to her as Dingilizwe Msipa, in May 2008, she was not aware that he was a Roman Catholic priest.

"Four Mexican priests leave church over celibacy rule." Latin American Herald Tribune (January 8, 2010).
… they have girlfriends and children … Archbishop Victor Sanchez Espinoza … explained to them the incompatibility of their positions with the family situations.

Matthew Wagner. "Houston woman in sex scandal undergoes conversion in Israel. " The Jerusalem Post (January 8, 2010).
… Rabbi Leib Tropper, the chairman of the Rabbinic Committee of Eternal Jewish Family, had allegedly forced Orand to conduct phone sex with him and purportedly encouraged her to have sexual relations with other men.

"4 Mexican priests resign after caught breaking celibacy vows." Fox News (January 6, 2010).
The clerics were either caught in a romantic relationship or discovered to have fathered children …

"Catholic priest (Ricardo Munoz Quinteros) in Chile charged with sexually abusing 3 girls, having child with 1." Baltimore Sun (January 6, 2010).
A Catholic priest and his girlfriend are accused of soliciting sex from young girls, including one who later bore his child …

G. Jeffrey MacDonald. "Religion News Service Advocates say abusive Irish priests assigned to U.S. churches." The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (January 5, 2010).
Roman Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse in Ireland have for decades been getting re-assigned to ministry positions in the United States, according to a church reform group with a new database of names.

Eva Hoare. "'Niece' sues diocese over alleged sex abuse: Woman who lived with now-dead priest (Raoul Deveau) says she had to call him 'uncle'." The Chronicle Herald, Nova Scotia, Canada (January 5, 2010).
Ms. Deschamp alleges Father Deveau had previously been moved from other parishes due to complaints about his sexual misconduct with another girl. (That woman also filed a lawsuit last year.)

Derek Scally. "Church accused of disregarding complaints of priest's (Georg Kerkhoff) child abuse." Irish Times (January 4, 2010).
The Catholic Church in Germany has been accused of ignoring abuse complaints against a priest who reportedly shared beds, saunas and showers with boys and young men … church authorities expressed relief that the cases did not involve small children.

"'Love affair priest (Giorgio Panini)' on murder rap in Italy." Mirror (January 3, 2010).
A priest who was said to be having an affair has been accused of stabbing his alleged lover's husband to death.

"Uganda Catholic priests form new church." New York Times (December 31, 2009).
… Catholic priests who are either married or want to marry have broken from the mainstream Roman Catholic Church here and formed a new church where celibacy is not required …

… Africa … has the world's fastest-growing Catholic population but … there have been several cases of priests living openly with women and fathering children.

"Eight years for former archbishop (Edgardo Storni)." Buenos Aires Herald (December 30, 2009).
An Argentine judge convicted a former Roman Catholic archbishop Wednesday of sexually abusing a seminarian in 1992.

"Nuns urged to abandon celibacy vow." Daily Nation (Kenya) (December 27, 2009).
Archbishop Daniel Kasomo said infidelity was rife among the church's rank and file and called on priests having secret love affairs to come out in the open and formally get married.

"When Fathers are daddies." Irish Times (November 21, 2009).

Brendan McDaid. "Love quit priest (Sean McKenna) says partner is not pregnant." Belfast Telegraph (November 20, 2009).

Vincent Gono. "Catholic priest rapes maid." Sunday News (November 10, 2009).

"Pastor (MP Coetzee) gets prison time." iAfrica.com (September 30, 2009).
… convicted on four counts of indecent assault and two counts of crimen injuria committed against three women ranging in ages from 16 to 21 years, who were members of his congregation.

Madhu Krishnamurthy. "Des Plaines woman sues Catholic priest's (Edwin Bohula) estate over his will." Daily Herald (September 9, 2009).
Serwa claims she and Bohula had a clandestine affair for 13 years living together as "husband and wife" from 1994 until Bohula's death in 2007.

Cecil Motsepe. "Archbishop faces two rape charges: Girls, aged 10 and 13, abused." Sowetan (September 2, 2009).

UCAN. "Catholics defy bishop, attend banned priest's (Jacob Gerald Sequeira) retreat." Indian Catholic (August 7, 2009).

John Allen. "Vatican denies studying new rules for priests who father kids." NCR Online (August 3, 2009).
The Italian daily La Stampa reported . . . that the Congregation for Clergy was considering a new set of rules for [paternity] cases, which the newspaper described as "very widespread" in developing nations as well as some European countries . . . [for example] the case of Fr. Joseph Friedl, a popular [Austrian] pastor who recently acknowledged living with a woman for more than 25 years.

CNS. "African archbishop (Paulin Pomodimo) resigns after Vatican investigation." CathNews USA (May 28, 2009).
Guinean Archbishop Robert Sarah . . . visited the Central African Republic and "concluded that many local priests have official homes, children …"

Damien Cave. "Celebrity priest says he is torn between Church and girlfriend." New York Times (May 11, 2009).
Father Cutie said he had been in a relationship for the last two years with the woman, identified in news reports as Ruhama Buni Canellis, 35, a divorced mother living in Miami Beach. But he said he had not decided whether to leave her or the priesthood.

Andres Viglucci, Gerardo Reyes and Jay Weaver. "Church officials say Alberto Cutie's future is up to him." Miami Herald (May 7, 2009).
. . . "He is welcome in our church," Bishop Leo Frade of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida said . . .

Paul van der Steen. "The church in Gulpen: Sex scandal haunts Catholic church in the Netherlands." NRC Handelsblad (May 5, 2009).
The late Catholic priest Joep Haffmans upheld strict rules for everybody in Gulpen except himself: he embezzled money for the poor and had a string of girlfriends.

"Zimbabwe: Woman at center of Pius Ncube's adultery case dies." The Herald (May 7, 2008).

Fiona Murray. "Secret life of Ireland's singing priest (Michael Cleary)." BBC News (April 21, 2008).

Sarah Stricker. "Wenn der Herr Pfarrer eine Tochter hat: Dornevoegel auf bayerisch." Sueddeutsche Zeitung (April 10, 2007). Translation: "When Father Has a Daughter: A Bavarian Version of The Thorn Birds." Article is followed by numerous online reader comments (in German).
Als Veronikas Mutter 1978 das Pfarrerskind zur Welt bringt, wird sie ins Muenchner Ordinariat zitiert. Der damalige Kardinal Joseph Ratzinger, erinnert sie sich, habe ihr durch seinen Generalvikar ausrichten lassen, sie trage als Frau die alleinige Schuld. Es sei das Beste, den Kontakt zum Kindsvater abzubrechen. translation When the priest's child, Veronika, was born in 1978, the mother was called into the Munich diocese. Then-cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the mother recalls, let her know via the vicar that she, Veronika's mother, was the guilty party. He further told the mother it would be the best for everyone involved that all contact with the child's father be ended.

Truman Lewis. "Priestly misdeeds rock congregations: Money and trust lost as priests (Jude Nanyumba and Rodney L. Rodis) lead double lives." ConsumerAffairs.com (February 8, 2007).
Wilmer Todd … went through Nanyumba's personal effects and found a letter from a woman in Africa who considered herself to be Nanyumba's wife.

Henry McDonald and Nicola Byrne. "Parish unites to back priest and teacher's love affair: The Galway scandal is not an isolated incident, says a rebel cleric who claims that hundreds of churchmen are involved in sexual relationships." The Observer (January 22, 2006).

Tom Peterkin. "500 Irish priests ‘having regular sex with women.’" The Telegraph (January 21, 2006).
Romances between an understanding man of God and an unloved wife were commonplace, as were priests and their housekeepers secretly living together as man and wife while relationships between priests and nuns were unofficially known as the "third way" by the church.

Andrew Connolly. "The Secret Life of Priests." National Catholic Reporter (May 20, 2005).
Book review of: Priests in Love: Roman Catholic Clergy and Their Intimate Friendships, by Jane Anderson.

Alexandra Roberts (letter to the editor) "Priests in Love."
Reader responds to Andrew Connolly's book review of Jane Anderson's Priests in Love: Roman Catholic Clergy and Their Intimate Friendships. National Catholic Reporter (June 17, 2005).

David Zucker. "A Betrayal of Their Sacred Trust: Rabbis, Cantors, and Chaplains Who Violate Sexual Boundaries." Journal of Religion and Abuse vol 7(2) 2005.

Paul Barker, James Hastings and Stephen Fraser. "Silent mistresses find voice against priests." Scotland on Sunday (January 19, 2003).
A support group for women who have affairs with Catholic priests is opening a branch in Scotland because its English headquarters cannot cope with the number of calls received from Scottish women. … "Sadly, all the stress and responsibility is placed on the women and it's a heavy burden to bear. If the relationship becomes public, it's the women, the Church's silent mistresses, who get the blame."

Cheryl Reed. "Unfaithful." MotherJones (December 1997).
As many as half of all priests break their celibacy vows, leading spiritually compromised lives. Inside the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of the Catholic church.

Priests … and bishops … With Children

Eamonn Casey

"Intellectual force in the church who abhorred violence." Irish Times (January 2, 2010).
… the resignation of Dr Casey following revelations that he had a teenage son in the US … was a bombshell to Dr Daly who knew nothing about the matter until days before the story broke.

"Cardinal Daly faced testing times as Irish primate." BBC News (December 31, 2009).
… the cardinal (Cahal Daly) led the Irish Church through a series of sex and abuse scandals that rocked its very foundations. It started with the 1992 revelation that Bishop Eamon Casey had a teenage son in the US.

David McKittrick. "Return of the prodigal bishop." New Zealand Herald (November 27, 2009).
… while Bishop of Kerry, he had fathered a son and he had managed to keep his secret for 18 years … [according to the child's mother]: "Eamonn belligerently and grudgingly offered $100 (NZ150) a month [in child support]"

Michael Cleary

David McKittrick. "The secret life of Michael Cleary (entertainer, radio show host, father of two … and priest)." The Independent (September 11, 2007).
The gap between what he preached and what he practised was incredible. Phyllis Hamilton was ostensibly his housekeeper but they were sexual partners, living in flagrant disregard of the solemn rules of the doctrines preached by his Church in general and by himself in particular.

"In the name of the father." RTE TV
… he fathered two children with his housekeeper … Their first child was given up for adoption, while their second son, Ross Hamilton, lived in the house with Phyllis and Fr. Cleary.

Michael Cleary and Bishop Eamonn Casey had been close friends for many years and when news broke of the relationship between Casey and Annie Murphy in 1992, Cleary was devastated.

Paolo Curtaz

John Allen, Jr. "Pope's pastor is father of three-year-old child." National Catholic Reporter (June 1, 2007).
In the wake of revelations that he is the father of a three-year-old girl, the popular pastor of a parish in Valle d'Aosta in Northern Italy . . . will take a year-long sabbatical to reflect on his future as a Catholic priest.

Marcial Maciel Degollado

Damian Thompson. "Legionaries of Christ founder Fr Maciel may have had six children, say reports." The Telegraph (August 12, 2009).

Maurice Dillane

Tom Peterkin. "500 Irish priests ‘having regular sex with women.’" The Telegraph (January 21, 2006).
An indication of the extent of illicit sexual relationships within the church was given after it was disclosed that Fr Maurice "Mossy" Dillane, 73, had fathered a child with his 31-year-old girlfriend.

David Dueppen

"Miami priest allegedly fathers child, was sent to new parish after he lived with stripper for 3 years." Catholic Culture (September 22, 2009).

David Ovalle. "The priest, the stripper, and their baby." Miami Herald (September 18, 2009).
Former stripper Beatrice Hernandez says she had a baby with Catholic priest David Arnold Dueppen. She has filed a restraining order against him for domestic violence.

Fernando Lugo

"Lugo agrees DNA test in third Paraguay love-child case." BBC News (December 16, 2009).
The Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo has agreed to take a DNA test in the third paternity lawsuit he has faced.

"Paraguayan president allegedly also has a 22-year old daughter, claims relative." MercoPress (November 25, 2009).

Gary Duffy. "Paternity claims harm Paraguay leader." BBC News (April 25, 2009).

Jeremy McDermott. "Paraguay's 'red bishop' president faces paternity tests: Fernando Lugo, Paraguay's President and a former Roman Catholic Bishop, is facing paternity tests after three women claimed that he fathered their children." Telegraph (April 23, 2009).

Jason Martin

Suzanne Le Mignot. "Woman claims father fathered her child: Says priest left her during engagement." CBS Chicago (January 11, 2006).
In Fr. Martin's current role, he is the vocation director for the Discalced Carmelite Friars at the Edith Stein House of Studies in Hyde Park.

Peter McDonough

Mike Keegan. "Bishop knew priest's love-child secret." Manchester Evening News (September 4, 2009).
. . . the Bishop (Terence Brain) was happy to let Mr McDonough remain in the priesthood as long as he stayed celibate.

Rodney Rodis

Lisa A. Bacon. "Retired priest sentenced for bilking two churches." New York Times (February 22, 2008).
[Rodis] used the money, the authorities said, to support his wife and three daughters . . .

Candace Rondeaux. "Va. priest's double life devastates parishioners." Washington Post (January 30, 2007).
. . . unbeknownst to parishioners, for the past 14 years, Rodis has been living with a woman identified in court records as his wife and three children an hour away in Spotsylvania County, where his neighbors believed he was in the import-export business.

Pamela Gould. "Spotsy 'family' had neighbors fooled." Fredericksburg.com (January 15, 2007).
"It's not a crime for someone to be married, but I imagine there might be some people mad at him over that," Louisa Commonwealth's Attorney R. Don Short told The Associated Press . . .

Websites for Victims of Sexual Exploitation by Clergy, Therapists, Doctors

Inclusion of support groups in this list does not imply endorsement by the website editor. Individuals are encouraged to learn as much as possible about any group before contacting them for support.

The listing is intended to illustrate the number of groups around the world that have emerged in response to women sexually involved with clergy.

Translations by google and the website editor.

The Apostles Wives’ Club. Marcella Paliekara, founder of The Apostles Wives’ Club states in her post of June 11, 2009, "Truth About Secret Relationships And Boundaries":
When a priest, especially if is he is your pastor, counselor, or spiritual director, invites you into his life as a lover, special friend, or in any other way outside of these relationships, he is violating his ethical code. Depending on what is happening, at the very least he has violated your trust, and possibly he is abusing you spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and sexually.

The Awareness Center, Inc. The International Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault. Vicki Polin, founder and CEO.
Our goal is to have current information on what's happening in Jewish communities around the globe and to provide hope and healing to those who have been sexually victimized …

Bethany (Ireland). Support group for "those in love affairs with the clergy" established by bishop Pat Buckley, in Larne, County Antrim.
"500 women in secret affairs with priests: support group." The Sydney Morning Herald (May 22, 2009).
Bishop Pat Buckley said a conservative estimate was that one in 10 of the 5000 priests enjoyed regular sex with women and some even referred to their clerical collar as the bird catcher.

"Wedding bells for gay bishop Pat Buckley." Belfast Telegraph (January 30, 2010).
The unofficial bishop said that while he would like to speak publicly about the union, his partner preferred to stay out of the limelight.

BUENAS NUEVAS - para sacerdotes y mujeres que se aman. Good News for priests and women who love each other.
Support in Spanish hosted by the Good Tidings group listed below. There is also a Spanish-language support group for the children of priests and their mothers listed on the Good Tidings website: SANTOS INOCENTES - para ninos de sacerdotes o para madres de ninos de sacerdotes.

Clergy Sexual Abuse in Australia. CAVEAS (Clergy Abuse Victims Education And Support), founded by Clare Pascoe.

Good Tidings, founded by Cait Finnegan. Although the group was formed to help priests discern whether to leave the priesthood, Ms. Finnegan stated in a recent New York Times article:
"We quickly discovered that many of these priests were playboys. They weren't looking for any discernment, they were simply staying and playing."

Initiativgruppe vom Zoelibat betroffener Frauen. Initiative Group for Women Afflicted/Harmed by Celibacy (German). [www.zoelibat-frauen.de]
Wir sind Frauen die eine heimliche Beziehung zu einem katholischen Priester leben oder gelebt haben; die Priesterkinder allein erziehen. . . Wir wissen, es gibt sehr viele Frauen, denen es so aehnlich geht, wie uns. Frauen in solcher Beziehungen . . . stellen sich viele Fragen, mit denen sie sich alliene glauben; sie haben Angst vor der Zukunft; sie fuehlen sich oft schuldig. translation We are women who have or had a clandestine relationship with a Catholic priest; who raise the priest's children alone . . . We know there are very many women who are similar to us. Women in such relationships . . . ask themselves many questions; they are afraid of the future; they often feel guilty.

MACSAS Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (British).
MACSAS is a support group for women and men from Christian backgrounds who have been sexually abused by Ministers or Clergy, as children or as adults.

Magdala Foundation. Stichting Magdala (Dutch).
Stichting Magdala heeft als doel vrouwen die een relatie met een priester hebben of hadden, te steunen in hun streven naar publieke erkenning van hun relatie door derden. translation Magdala Foundation aims to help women who have a relationship with a priest or have had to be supported in their efforts to give public recognition of their relationship by third parties.

Origins of the Magdala Foundation. A relationship with a celibate person is not an everyday relationship, it cannot be, there is a taboo. Girlfriends of priests must often remain invisible, because the outside world knows nothing of that relationship nor does it want to know. For most women, this means that they can not act as they would wish, that they must adapt to their partner and his work. Furthermore, it often means that the secrecy that surrounds this relationship leads to isolation. Many a woman thinks she is the only one in such a situation and in many cases she dares not let her relationship be known to others, let alone someone she can turn to if problems arise. And unfortunately, we must also recognize that secrecy regularly leads to abuse within the pastoral relationships.

Misbruik door Hulpverleners MdH. Abuse by Helping Professionals (Dutch). This website includes information and brochures in Dutch, German, and English.
MdH Archive of news stories regarding misconduct by therapists, doctors, etc. in Belgium, Canada, the UK and the US.

Plein Jour. In the Light of Day (French).
See article: "Familles clandestines et celibat des pretres." Article paru dans le numero 6 de la revue "Parvis, Chretiens en liberte pour d'autres visages d'Eglise" (Juin 2000). translation "Clandestine Families and Priestly Celibacy." The women involved experience: a part-time common life with our partner; a relationship lived in hiding: hidden from family (our family and his family), hidden sometimes from friends, relatives . . . Distorted social relations: in view of all or part of our family, we are officially "single women" . . . Precarious: as long as they are required by the bond of obedience to their superiors, our companions may have to leave us overnight on a simple decision to transfer or other assignment from their superiors . . . Unmarried priests in secret relationships. The theme of priests with girlfriends is one of the last great taboos of the Church. And because of the clandestine relationship for the persons concerned, is tainted by untenable pressure. . . .

An organized silence: the women say NO! Most clerics involved, both victims and accomplices, are silent. If they agree to testify publicly about their situation, they would be warned by their superiors to choose between their companion and their position as priest. Misinformation maintained on the priests who have lived secretly with a woman, has consequences for the Church, but also on the lives of women.

Pokrov. Orthodox Churches.
A Welcome To Survivors of Abuse.

Abuse can take place whether you are a young toddler, a child, a teenager or an adult. You can be married, single or divorced. Abuse can occur against men as well as women. Even priests, seminary students and clergy-wives can be abused . . .

Abuse occurs anytime someone uses their power (spiritual power, political power, physical power, etc.) to manipulate or force another person into submission . . .

The pastoral or professional relationship constitutes a "forbidden zone" which exists because the one in power has a relationship with another based upon trust. No matter who initiates an action or how willing the vulnerable person says he/she is, the [clergyman] always has the responsibility to set appropriate boundaries regardless of the situation or circumstances.

Sexualisierte Gewalt in der Therapie (German).
Books on sexual exploitation by therapists.

Stiftung Linda (Swiss). Linda Foundation.
Sexueller Missbrauch und sexuelle Grenzverletzungen in oeffentlichen oder privaten Institutionen wie Schulen, Sportvereinen, Heimen, Spitaelern, Kirchen oder durch staatliche Organe wie Polizei oder Justizbehoerden finden nicht nur statt, sondern werden viel zu oft vertuscht. Man schweigt und deckt die Taeter. translation Sexual abuse and sexual boundary violations in public or private institutions such as schools, sports clubs, homes, hospitals, churches or state institutions such as police or judicial authorities not only occur, but are too often concealed. The silence of the bystanders protects the perpetrators.

In ihrem Leid allein gelassen werden Jugendliche, Erwachsene, aber auch ihr ganzes familiaeres Umfeld. Ihnen eine Stimme zu geben, Hand zu bieten und den Finger auf ein Unrecht zu legen, haben wir uns zur Aufgabe gemacht. Gerecht und fair. translation Adolescents, adults, and their entire families are frequently left to suffer alone in silence. Only when we give voice to these victims and point out this injustice, will we make this situation better. It is right and just.

StopBaptistPredators.org, founded by Christa Brown.
The mission of StopBaptistPredators.org is to break the silence of Baptist clergy sex abuse.

WITNESS (British).
WITNESS aims to promote safe boundaries between professionals and the public in order to prevent abuse. See also: WITNESS Training.

ZoeFra (Swiss). Verein der vom Zoelibat betroffenen Frauen. Association of Women Afflicted/Harmed by Celibacy.
Weshalb die ZoeFra? Liebes-Beziehungen von katholischen Priestern gibt es viel mehr, als in der Oeffentlichkeit bekannt ist. Fuer die betroffenen Frauen bedeutet das: viele offene Fragen; Gewissenskonflikte; Schuldgefuehle; versteckt Leben und Lieben; Angst vor dem Entdecktwerden; Einsamkeit; Zukunftsaengste. translation Why the ZoeFra? Love relationships by Catholic priests exist much more than the public knows. For the women this means: many unanswered questions; conscience conflicts; guilt; hidden life and love; fear of discovery; loneliness; fear of the future.