Grace Thompson
Sexual abuse by religious leaders has been a widely reported issue, with the Catholic Church receiving a significant amount of attention in this regard. While the majority of research on child sexual abuse in religious organizations has focused on the Catholic Church, there are also reports and studies that highlight similar issues within Jewish communities, particularly in Orthodox Jewish communities. The insularity and secrecy within these communities make it challenging to obtain reliable statistics, but stories of rabbis accused of assaulting minors or shielding predators have emerged, echoing the issues faced by the Catholic Church.
What You'll Learn
Sexual abuse in Orthodox Jewish communities
While stories of sexual abuse by Catholic priests are commonplace, a similar crisis has been unfolding in certain Orthodox Jewish communities, particularly in New York, over the past several decades. Rabbis accused of sexually assaulting minors or shielding other predators have been protected and transferred to save the reputations and financial well-being of the religious institutions they serve.
The Haredi, or Orthodox Jewish community (OJC), constitutes a significant minority group of the worldwide Jewish population, characterized by cultural conservatism, steadfast loyalty to the community, and strict religious behavioural codes. The insularity and secrecy that characterize Haredi life mean there are few reliable statistics about how prevalent the problem is. However, Ben Hirsch, the co-founder of Survivors for Justice, an organization that advocates for victims of sexual abuse in Orthodox communities, suggested that the rate of abuse could exceed 50% for boys within Hasidic enclaves.
Sexual abuse within the Haredi community is often not reported to the police. Many feel that reporting a Jew to non-Jewish authorities constitutes the religious crime of mesirah. As such, those who do report abuse may be shunned by their communities, expelled from religious schools and synagogues, and targeted for harassment intended to destroy their businesses. Some victims' families have been offered money to stop pursuing charges. In addition, authorities in the Haredi community have often failed to report offences to the police, intimidated witnesses, and encouraged shunning against victims and those who speak out.
However, some rabbis, including a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinic court in Crown Heights and Yosef Blau, disagree and encourage reporting abusers to the police, stating that the ban on mesirah does not apply. Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg, a Hasidic Rabbi from the Satmar community in Williamsburg, created a hotline featuring weekly, impassioned lectures in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English, imploring victims to report sexual abuse to the authorities.
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Catholic Church cover-ups
The Catholic Church has been plagued by a series of sexual abuse scandals involving priests, nuns, and other members of the clergy. These abuses have been widespread, occurring in Europe, Australia, Chile, Canada, the United States, Ireland, and South America. The victims were mostly boys, but also included girls, some as young as three years old, with the majority between the ages of 11 and 14. The average age at the first time of abuse was 10.3 years.
The Catholic Church has been accused of covering up these abuses and failing to respond to concerns. In some cases, abusive priests were moved to other parishes where they continued to abuse children. In August 2018, a list was published revealing that over 1,300 Catholic clergy in Ireland had been accused of sexual abuse, with 82 convictions. Similarly, in May 2020, it was revealed that the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI) covered up sex abuse by shielding 275 known or suspected predators. In 2019, Pope Francis promised an end to cover-ups and announced changes to the law, making sexual abuse and covering up abuse criminal offences under Vatican law. However, critics argue that he has not done enough to hold accountable bishops who allegedly covered up abuse.
In addition to the Catholic Church, there have also been reports of sexual abuse within Orthodox Jewish communities, particularly in New York. Rabbis accused of assaulting minors or shielding predators have been protected and transferred to save the reputations of the institutions they serve. However, due to the insularity and secrecy of these communities, there are few reliable statistics available.
The issue of sexual abuse by religious leaders has sparked global outrage and prompted legal action. In Washington state, a new law was passed mandating that clergy report abuse, but this was challenged by the Justice Department (DOJ) on the basis of religious freedom and confidentiality concerns. In New York, a similar law was passed, giving victims a one-year "look-back window" to file civil suits, regardless of when the abuse occurred. This law was opposed by Agudath Israel of America, an organization that advocates for Jewish religious and civil rights. Despite opposition, the bill passed with the support of Democrats in the State Senate.
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Grooming in religious settings
Some characteristics of certain religions can facilitate sexual grooming, including religious texts that justify sexual grooming, deference towards religious authority, unquestioned faith in persons with religious authority, spiritual punishments, power, patriarchy, and obedience. For instance, the Catholic Church has been accused of covering up sexual abuse by priests and shielding other predators to protect the reputations and financial well-being of the Church. Similarly, certain Orthodox Jewish communities, particularly in New York, have been accused of protecting rabbis accused of sexually assaulting minors.
While the focus has largely been on the Catholic Church, it is important to acknowledge that grooming and sexual abuse can occur in various religious settings, including Protestant church congregations, Jewish communities, and other sects.
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Child sexual abuse in religious institutions
In Ireland, a 2009 report revealed that sexual and psychological abuse was "endemic" in Catholic-run industrial schools and orphanages for most of the 20th century. The Irish government's nine-year inquiry confirmed these findings, leading to an official apology from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 1999. Similarly, a French inquiry found that 216,000 children had been sexually abused by clergy members since 1950, with the Church showing "deep, total and even cruel indifference" towards victims until the early 2000s.
The Catholic Church in the United States has also faced scrutiny, with high-ranking figures like Theodore McCarrick, a former Roman Catholic cardinal, accused of sexually assaulting a teenager in New York in the 1970s. In New York, the Buffalo Catholic Diocese was sued in 2020 for allegedly protecting priests accused of child sex abuse, and the state passed the Child Victims Act, allowing victims to sue their attackers.
While the majority of research on child sexual abuse in religious organizations has focused on the Catholic Church, Orthodox Jewish communities, particularly in New York, have also faced similar issues. Accused rabbis have been protected and transferred to preserve the reputations and finances of their institutions, and there are few reliable statistics due to the insularity and secrecy of these communities. However, Ben Hirsch of Survivors for Justice suggested that the rate of abuse within Hasidic enclaves could exceed 50% for boys.
The response of the Haredi Jewish community in Brooklyn to sexual abuse allegations against spiritual leaders has drawn criticism. Community authorities have often failed to report offenses, intimidated witnesses, and encouraged shunning against victims and whistleblowers. Despite this, activists like Rabbi Tzvi Gluck and Rabbi Rosenberg have advocated for victims and worked to raise awareness of the issue.
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Catholics' opinions on the Church's handling of abuse
While the majority of research on child sexual abuse in religious organizations has focused on the Catholic Church, cases of abuse have also been reported in Jewish communities, particularly in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. In both cases, religious leaders accused of sexual misconduct have been protected and transferred to save the reputations and financial well-being of the institutions they serve.
Catholics' opinions on the Church's handling of sexual abuse vary. A survey of 6,364 U.S. adults conducted in March and April 2019 found that Catholics who attend Mass on a weekly basis are more likely to express favorable opinions about how Pope Francis, their bishop, and U.S. bishops have handled reports of sexual abuse. Among this group, half or more gave positive ratings. However, opinions are less positive among Catholics who attend Mass less frequently, with only 30% in this group giving U.S. bishops excellent or good ratings.
There are also differences in opinions along racial and ethnic lines. White Catholics are nearly twice as likely as Hispanic Catholics to believe that the reporting on sexual abuse within the Church reflects issues that no longer occur (29% vs. 15%). Additionally, four out of ten White Catholics (39%) think that sexual abuse is more common among Catholic leaders than in other religious traditions, while only one-fifth of Hispanic Catholics (22%) hold this view. Instead, 69% of Hispanic Catholics believe that sexual abuse is equally prevalent in other religious traditions.
Overall, while one-quarter of Catholics believe that recent reports of sexual abuse and misconduct reflect past issues that have mostly been resolved, seven-in-ten believe these problems are ongoing. However, a majority of Catholics (61%) say that sexual abuse and misconduct are equally common in other religious traditions, while one-third believe it is more common in the Catholic Church.
In response to the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, Catholics have undertaken various actions. One in three reported undertaking at least one distancing behavior, while twenty percent affirmed their support for their local parish. The impact of the scandal on Catholics in the U.S. specifically has been understudied, and further research is needed to understand how Catholics have been affected and responded to the crisis.
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Frequently asked questions
While there is extensive documentation of child sexual abuse in Catholic communities, there is a lack of empirical research on the prevalence of such abuse in Jewish communities. However, it is important to note that child sexual abuse is a widespread issue across various religious groups, and further research is needed to understand the full scope of the problem in all communities.
In Catholic communities, there have been efforts to protect the Church's reputation and hide abuses, which has impacted reporting percentages. In Jewish communities, there is an "us versus them" stance due to historical persecution and discrimination, which can make it difficult to report abuse to outside authorities. Additionally, the elevated level of commitment to the religion and community can create pressure to cover up incidents of abuse.
In Catholic settings, grooming characteristics may include desensitization to sexualized activity, exposure to illicit material, and the use of religious language and justification. In Jewish settings, offending rabbis have been found to incorporate religious elements throughout the grooming process, such as offering joint religious studies with victims' family members.
In Catholic communities, there have been efforts to improve reporting and accountability, such as the implementation of new rules for reporting accusations. In Jewish communities, organizations like Survivors for Justice advocate for victims of sexual abuse and work to raise awareness of the issue.
Victims of child sexual abuse in both Catholic and Jewish communities may experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, PTSD, dissociation, and an increased risk of developing various disorders such as somatic pain and eating disorders. The impact of abuse on victims' religious practices, beliefs, and attitudes towards religious leaders can also be significant.
