From: Jon C <>
Newsgroups: uk.religion.christian
Date: Thursday, 11 March 1999 7:45
Subject: Re: Why do clergymen tend to be *sex* offenders?

Robert Minchin wrote in message
<>...
>Alasdair Baxter () wrote:
>: When I look at the number of clergymen who have recently got themselves
>: into trouble with the police and the criminal law in the UK, most have
>: been accused or convicted of sex crimes, frequently against children.
>: Why should this be?
>
>According to teb BBC (a couple of years back) churchmen are no more likely
>to commit sexual offences than other men.  It is sad that they are not less
>likely to commit it, this is true, but there are some reasons why it makes
>the news when it happens.
>
>1) Newspapers love scandal, especially sexual scandal, and churchmen are public
>figures
>
>2) Churchmen, although no more likely to commit such crimes than other men,
>can cause greater damage than most men due to their position and access to
>opportunity.
>
>3) The churches have, until recently, been quite lax in dealing with the
>problem.  This is changing now but the process is not complete.
>
>: The notable exception to this is the Scottish Episcopal clergyman who
>: was alleged to have stolen money from a church fund and used it to
>: enhance his own lifestyle.
>
>This is probably a lot more common than sexual crime, it's just less
>news-worthy and less damaging.
>
>: Sex crime seems to cover the whole gamut of
>: Christian denominations from the Free Church of Scotland Professor who
>: was accused of sexual impropriety but later acquitted to the recent
>: arrest of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff who was accused of
>: some sex offences.
>
>An acquital and an accusation of an event over 30 years ago?
>
>The Archbishop was arrested and released on bail.  He has withdrawn from all
>public duties pending the outcome of the investigation and, if necessary,
>trial.
>
>: Any views on this sad trend among the clergy would be much appreciated.
>
>My view would be that it is not a 'trend' as such, it is that the bad-eggs
>are finally being exposed.  The churches have now woken up to the problem
>and new proceedures should ensure that this sort of thing happens much
>less frequently in the future.
>
>Robert


Whether clergy are actually over-represented amongst sex
offenders, I don't know.  But a key point about sex
offenders if that they don't just have sex with people they
shouldn't.  They abuse positions of power.  (adult over
child, care worker over client, counsellor over client,
clergy over parishioner, big man over small woman, world
leader over young over attractive and vulnerable woman
[??!!?] etc. etc. etc. ).  Clergy are in a position of power
and with that power comes responsibility and ample
opportunities to abuse it in 101 subtle ways as well as the
more obvious ways.

Perhaps there are some clergy who enter the ministry because
of a need or ability to be in power in some way.  This
may be used towards honorable ends or dishonorable.  Leaders
lead - sometimes to good places and sometimes to bad.  Being
in the clergy offers opportunities for abuse that others may
not have.

Jon