Injury Law News
August 10 2010
http://www.injurylawnews.us/2010/08/10/bishop-accused-of-covering-up-brother%E2%80%99s-sexual-abuse-wins-appeal/
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What duties does a priest have who finds out about a family member and fellow clergyman’s sex abuse of a child? The case involving Bishop Charles Bennison of Pennsylvania revolved on that question. This week, the Episcopal Bishop who was accused of covering up child sex abuse involving his brother, has won an appeal by the Episcopal Church of Appeals. Advocates against child sex abuse and California sex abuse lawyers will be concerned at this development.
In 2008, Charles Bennison was found guilty by a church panel of covering up a sexual relationship involving his brother and a 14-year-old girl. His brother, John Bennison was then the rector of St. Mark’s Church in Upland, California. He allegedly began a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl, of which Bennison eventually became aware. A church panel in 2008 determined that Bennison had engaged in conduct that was unbecoming of a clergyman because he failed to stop the relationship, even after he found his brother with the minor girl, and even after hearing rumors about the abuse.
In May, an Episcopal Church appeals panel met to discuss the situation. The panel has reversed that decision, because too much time had passed before charges were brought against Bennison in 2007. The statute of limitations in clergy abuse has an exception, but that can only apply in sex abuse cases where the respondent has been directly involved in the abuse. In this case, it was Bennison’s brother who perpetrated the abuse and therefore, the statue limitations exception did not apply here.
It seems that Bennison has been let off on a technicality. This is a man who should have stepped in when he found out about his brother and fellow priest conducting an illegal sexual relationship with a child. Bennison will now likely resume his former position as leader of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. It’s like a slap in the face of victims of child sexual abuse.
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