Churches must ensure that complaints of sexual abuse are taken seriously

Churches, of all places, should be safe spaces in which members can follow their faith in a supportive environment consistent with Christian values. Sadly, a wealth of evidence from around the world has shown that is often not the case. Scandals have revealed what has been described as “an inconvenient truth”. Religious institutions can unintentionally provide fertile ground for sex offenders. Complaints are often covered up. No church, whatever its denomination, is immune. Hong Kong has, over the years, experienced a relatively small number of apparently isolated cases involving sexual abuse within church communities. There has not been a controversy on the scale of those that have engulfed churches elsewhere. But there is no room for complacency. The small number of cases is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg. It suggests victims are reluctant or unwilling to come forward or that complaints have been swept under the carpet. A survey published this month by a church group identified at least 69 cases of harassment or abuse in the city’s church communities over the last two decades. Three of the victims were aged between three and 15. But the concern lies not only with the number of complaints. The deeper problem is the way they are handled. The Hong Kong Christian Council Gender Justice Ministry, which conducted the poll, warned there is a “systemic issue” in the treatment of victims who find the courage to come forward. Church leaders enjoy positions of authority and trust as well as a good reputation in the community, especially among members of their congregation. When allegations are made against them, complainants are sometimes not believed or are questioned by other members of the church. Victims have been urged to keep quiet and cases of abuse have been handled internally rather than reported to the police. Researchers found perpetrators sometimes simply resigned or the victim might even be offered a “prayer of sympathy” by way of an apology. In this way, offenders evade justice and the victim’s suffering is prolonged. Some churches have preferred to cover up complaints, fearing damage to their reputation or a loss of members. One deacon who responded to the survey said a concern about civil liability led to a church not keeping a record of allegations or investigations, with leaders preferring simply to “have a chat” with the complainant. A church culture which emphasises forgiveness, unity and harmony – all admirable attributes – can, however, discourage victims from reporting abuse. Sometimes, Christian values are distorted to avoid repercussions, encouraging victims to leave the matter to God, rather than seeking help from the authorities. The Hong Kong Christian Council deserves credit for the work it has conducted, beginning in 2013, to raise awareness of the problem and to urge churches to adopt policies and mechanisms to ensure complaints are properly handled. It is seeking to ensure the church gets its own house in order. A similar survey was conducted by the group in 2018, identifying 55 cases, with offences ranging from rape and attempted rape to abusive touching, messages and gestures. Around half were alleged to have been committed by pastors or church leaders. Alfred Chan Cheung-ming, who was chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission at the time, described the findings that year as “appalling” and called for churches to have clear zero-tolerance policies on sexual harassment. “Those who appeal to biblical verses and argue that victims of sexual harassment should forgive the perpetrators and wait for God to mete out judgment are completely misguided,” he added. The commission reached out to churches and, in 2020, issued detailed reference materials to help them develop policies to tackle sexual harassment and abuse and to ensure complaints are handled properly. This included making the community aware of how sexual harassment is defined – essentially any unwelcome sexual conduct – as well as training church staff, establishing channels for the making of complaints and ensuring complaints are treated fairly, with allegations taken seriously. This year’s survey revealed only 47 per cent of 1,154 churches reviewed have such policies in place. Establishing such a framework is a necessary first step. But it must then be implemented. The survey showed that more than half of the churches with such policies have not put them into practice. Little more than 7 per cent make them available on their website, which is needed to provide transparency and increase awareness. Clearly, much more needs to be done. There is no excuse for failing to take action. Churches around the world have been embroiled in shocking scandals. The late pope Francis held an unprecedented summit on widespread child sex abuse in many countries within the Catholic Church in 2019 and adopted a range of measures to combat it. His successor, Pope Leo, spoke this year of a crisis and described sexual violence by the clergy as “a scourge”. The Catholic Church in Hong Kong announced new measures against sex abuse in light of the scandal, mainly involving victims in Europe, the US, and Latin America, in 2019. The problem is not confined to the Catholic Church. The Church of England appointed a woman archbishop of Canterbury for the first time, after her predecessor resigned when found to have failed to immediately report a case of abuse to the police. As Hong Kong prepares for an overhaul of its sex crime legislation, every sector of the community should be working to ensure that people are free from abuse and harassment. Churches must take steps to ensure their followers are safe and complaints are taken seriously.

Churches must ensure that complaints of sexual abuse are taken seriously

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}As the city prepares for a sex crime legislation overhaul, every community sector should work to ensure that people are free from harassment

As the city prepares for a sex crime legislation overhaul, every community sector should work to ensure that people are free from harassment