‘THE PERFECT LIFESTYLE’
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Joining new revelations from The Southern Baptist Conference, probably no one is surprised, probably no one is surprised. What is surprising is the glaring lack of attention here in Arizona . . .
When it comes to child sexual abuse, the Mormon church says “the first responsibility of the church in abuse cases is to help those who have been abused and protect those who may be vulnerable to future abuse,” according to its 2010 handbook for church leaders. The handbook also says, “Abuse cannot be tolerated in any form.”
Seven years of sex abuse: How Mormon officials let it happen
BISBEE, Ariz. (AP) — MJ was a tiny, black-haired girl, just 5 years old, when her father admitted to his bishop that he was sexually abusing her.
The father, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an admitted pornography addict, was in counseling with his bishop when he revealed the abuse. The bishop, who was also a family physician, followed church policy and called what church officials have dubbed the “help line” for guidance.
But the call offered little help for MJ. Lawyers for the church, widely known as the Mormon church, who staff the help line around the clock told Bishop John Herrod not to call police or child welfare officials. Instead he kept the abuse secret.
“They said, ‘You absolutely can do nothing,’” Herrod said in a recorded interview with law enforcement. www.sltrib.com
Mormon church issues vague rebuttal on sex abuse hotline.png)
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said an Associated Press story "seriously mischaracterized" its protocols for child abuse reports — but officials did not say what precisely the AP got wrong.
Catch up fast: The AP on Thursday reported that sealed court documents show the church used its 24-7 sex abuse "helpline" to stop a bishop from reporting a confessed child rapist to police in Arizona.
- The bishop said when he called the hotline, he was connected with church lawyers who told him — wrongly — that he could "absolutely do nothing" because Arizona law required him to keep the man's confession confidential.
- The man's children are now suing the church, and a prosecutor is investigating church officials' actions.
The latest: The church on Friday refuted the AP story, but without pointing to any specific inaccuracies.
- The church said the help line "is instrumental in ensuring that all legal requirements for reporting are met" as states have varying laws on the obligations of clergy to report information they receive, especially in private confessions.
- The church statement said the AP story is "oversimplified and incomplete" and "a serious misrepresentation of the Church and its efforts."
Yes, but: The AP story quotes church documents stating that abuse shouldn't be tolerated and the first responsibility of the church is to help victims.
What's happening: The church repeatedly posted and deleted its statement on Twitter that "Abuse of a child or any other individual is inexcusable."
- The church tweeted its entire statement in a thread and eventually blocked replies — but only after someone had responded to the first post, "You are full of s---."
- The church deleted and reposted the first tweet with replies blocked, and shared the rest of the thread under it — which opened the original posts to a slew of comments criticizing their handling of sex abuse.
- The church then deleted all of its tweets on the AP article and reposted its entire statement with replies blocked.
Zoom in: Although the church's official statement reads "Our hearts break for these children," its attorney called the children's lawsuit a "money grab" in the AP story.
What's next: State Rep. Angela Romero plans to revive a 2020 bill requiring all religious leaders to report child abuse, she told FOX 13.
- The bill failed after the Catholic League and House Speaker Brad Wilson opposed it.
LDS Church hits back even harder at AP, cites ‘egregious errors’ in sex abuse article
LDS Church hits back even harder at AP, cites ‘egregious errors’ in sex abuse article
By Peggy Fletcher Stack | Aug. 18, 2022, 3:49 a.m. | Updated: 8:30 p.m.
6 - 7 minutes
News agency says it “stands by its story” as reporter explains why he believes bishop knew of ongoing abuse.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Church Office Building on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. The Utah-based faith issued an even stronger rebuke of an Associated Press investigation of a child sex abuse case.
This church’s strong response to the AP article, the release explained, is because there can be “no tolerance for any suggestion that we are neglectful or not doing enough on the issue of child abuse,” it said. “It is a matter that strikes at our hearts and is so deeply offensive to everything that we value. We will not stand by while others mischaracterize or completely misrepresent the church’s long-term efforts and commitment. Nor will we tolerate The Associated Press or any other media to make such gross errors on the details of such a tragic and horrific incident as what occurred in Arizona.”
Latter-day Saint leaders “are constantly striving to be better and do more,” the release stated, “and we invite others to join us in such efforts.”
Church sex abuse case, AP article brings statements from Latter-day-Saints - Deseret News
Aug 5, 2022, 9:52am MST
The Church Office Building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is pictured in Salt Lake City
Tad Walch
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded Friday to an Associated Press story about how the church handled child sexual abuse cases in Arizona and West Virginia.
“The abuse of a child or any other individual is inexcusable,” the statement said. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes this, teaches this and dedicates tremendous resources and efforts to prevent, report and address abuse. Our hearts break for these children and all victims of abuse.”
The AP story focused on the church’s abuse help line. The help line provides professional legal and clinical advice on abuse cases to Latter-day Saint bishops and branch presidents, laymen who are not professionally trained clergy. Bishops and branch presidents, who oversee congregations, and stake presidents, who preside over groups of congregations, are instructed to call the help line when any type of abuse arises.
The church’s published goals for the help line, established in 1995, state it is designed to:
- “Assist victims and help protect them from further abuse.
- “Help protect potential victims.
- “Comply with legal requirements for reporting abuse.”
The AP story focused on an Arizona case in which a Latter-day Saint man confessed to his bishop that he had sexually abused his daughter. The bishop, following advice from the help line about Arizona’s law on reporting abuse and its priest-penitent privilege exception, urged the man and his wife to report the abuse to authorities but did not do so himself.
The bishop who followed him in the lay calling did the same. That bishop held a church disciplinary hearing for the man, who then was excommunicated in 2013. The father later began to sexually abuse a newborn daughter, according to the article.
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Latter-day Saint clergy regularly report abuse to law enforcement based on advice from the help line. For example, the church was sued recently in Oregon by a woman whose husband confessed that he was sexually abusing his children and went to prison after a church leader reported the abuse.
The plaintiff voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit, which was dismissed with prejudice.
That lawsuit case illustrated the fact that reporting requirements are different across the United States. Some states like Oregon require clergy to report abuse. Laws in other states, such as New York, do not allow clergy to breech priest-penitent privilege unless the privilege is waived by the penitent.
The church’s statement continued:
“The nature and the purpose of the church’s help line was seriously mischaracterized in the recent Associated Press article. The help line is instrumental in ensuring that all legal requirements for reporting are met. It provides a place for local leaders, who serve voluntarily, to receive direction from experts to determine who should make a report and whether they (local leaders) should play a role in that reporting. When a leader calls the help line, the conversation is about how to stop the abuse, care for the victim and ensure compliance with reporting obligations, even in cases when the law provides clergy-penitent privilege or restricts what can be shared from private ecclesiastical conversations.
“And the help line is just one of many safeguards put in place by the church. Any member serving in a role with children or youth is required to complete a training every few years about how to watch for, report and address abuse. Leaders and members are offered resources on how to prevent, address and report abuse of any kind. Church teachings and handbooks are clear and unequivocal on the evils of abuse. And members who violate those teachings are disciplined by the church and may lose their privileges or membership. These are just a few examples.
“The story presented in the AP article is oversimplified and incomplete, and is a serious misrepresentation of the church and its efforts. We will continue to teach and follow Jesus Christ’s admonition to care for one another, especially in our efforts related to abuse,” the statement concluded.
The AP story explained that reporting laws vary across the United States.
“Arizona’s child sex abuse reporting law, and similar laws in more than 20 states that require clergy to report child sex abuse and neglect, says that clergy, physicians, nurses or anyone caring for a child who ‘reasonably believes’ a child has been abused or neglected has a legal obligation to report the information to police or the state Department of Child Safety,” the story says. “But it also says that clergy who receive information about child neglect or sexual abuse during spiritual confessions ‘may withhold’ that information from authorities if the clergy determine it is ‘reasonable and necessary’ under church doctrine.”
Abuse reporting laws also vary country by country, “which means a single policy can’t apply to all bishops, and they will need individualized advice,” wrote C.D. Cunningham, who published a response to the AP story for Public Square Magazine, which is published by a group of Latter-day Saints.
The church’s published policy on its official website, titled “Protecting members and reporting abuse,” instructs bishops, branch presidents and stake presidents that “the first responsibility of the church in abuse cases is to help those who have been abused and to protect those who may be vulnerable to future abuse.”
They also state “the church is committed to complying with the law in reporting abuse. Laws differ by location, and most church leaders are not legal experts. Calling the help line is essential for bishops and stake presidents to fulfill their responsibilities to report abuse.”
A bishop also should notify his stake president of instances of abuse.
The church’s General Handbook says its leaders and members around the world should follow reporting laws.
“Church leaders and members should fulfill all legal obligations to report abuse to civil authorities,” the Handbook states. “In some locations, leaders and teachers who work with children and youth are considered “mandated reporters” and must report abuse to legal authorities. Similarly, in many locations, any person who learns of abuse is required to report it to legal authorities. Bishops and stake presidents should call the help line for details about mandated reporters and other legal requirements for reporting abuse. The Church’s policy is to obey the law.”
MORE REPORTS
The AP story explained that reporting laws vary across the United States.
“Arizona’s child sex abuse reporting law, and similar laws in more than 20 states that require clergy to report child sex abuse and neglect, says that clergy, physicians, nurses or anyone caring for a child who ‘reasonably believes’ a child has been abused or neglected has a legal obligation to report the information to police or the state Department of Child Safety,” the story says. “But it also says that clergy who receive information about child neglect or sexual abuse during spiritual confessions ‘may withhold’ that information from authorities if the clergy determine it is ‘reasonable and necessary’ under church doctrine.”
Abuse reporting laws also vary country by country, “which means a single policy can’t apply to all bishops, and they will need individualized advice,” wrote C.D. Cunningham, who published a response to the AP story for Public Square Magazine, which is published by a group of Latter-day Saints.
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