daniel chigunwe
FOR years now, we have been reading a lot of media reports about cases of rampant sexual abuse of boys by church leaders around the world.
For years, this appeared to have been happening somewhere out there in the world, very far away from us. However, in recent days, it has hit us closer to home.
The resignation of the leader of the Church of England, which was triggered by the way he tried to cover-up the horrific sexual abuse of scores of local boys by a predator who masqueraded as a religious man, has pushed this abuse into our territory.
It is now part of our story and the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has thrust the spotlight firmly back on this dark chapter.
Welby, who is the spiritual leader of the global Anglican family, resigned last week after it emerged he covered up the violent abuse of scores of boys and young men by John Smyth.
The review into the Anglican church’s handling of Smyth’s abuses led to Welby’s resignation — the first time that the leader of the Church of England has quit.
Smyth was a Canadian-born British barrister and serial child abuser who was actively involved in the Christian Ministry for children within the Anglican Church.
Smyth moved to Zimbabwe with his wife, Anne in 1984.
At the weekend it also emerged that the late Father Brian Porter was involved in sexually abusing students, targeting mainly the Form One pupils, at St Ignatius College.
Victims around the world are being compensated for this madness and in March this year, the Church of England allocated £150 million as a package for the compensation of survivors and victims.
In October last year, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay US$880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades, in what a lawyer said was the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese.
We believe that our victims should also be compensated for the abuse that they endured at the hands of these men whom they believed were there to protect them.
Virtually all the victims were young and a part of their innocence was taken from them.
We know that financial compensation will not make up for the horror that was inflicted on them but, at least, it can help them appreciate that these churches appreciate that what was done to them was very wrong. It can help to bring some form of closure to them.
We also feel that those who died should also be identified and their relatives should also file for them to be compensated.
These people include relatives of the 12-year-old boy who died in mysterious circumstances in a swimming pool while attending one of Smyth’s infamous camps.
We are happy that the St Ignatius College victims have started a campaign to ensure that the church is held responsible for the abuse they suffered at the hands of Father Porter.
Online Reporter