AUSTRALIA
Pro Bono Australia
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014
Author: Xavier Smerdon
Catholic priest’s vow of celibacy may be behind decades of sexual abuse in the Church, according to a landmark report released today.
The Truth Justice and Healing Council, which is coordinating the Catholic Church’s response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, released its December Activity Report today.
In it the Council claims that restrictions on priests having sex could have caused some of them to commit sexual assaults.
“Obligatory celibacy may also have contributed to abuse in some circumstances,” the report said.
It is believed to be the first time the Catholic Church has ever pointed towards celibacy leading to abuse.
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