‘Boys also victims of church abuse’

IT is not only women and young girls who are victims of sexual abuse by men of the cloth‚ the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural‚ Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) said yesterday.

“There are boys and young men too. We are worried about these boys and men,” CRL chairwoman Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said.

“Their healing may be longer. It may be more difficult but we will do whatever it takes in terms of psychological support and whatever support they feel they may need.”

She was speaking at the CRL offices in Braamfontein where a discussion with survivors of sexual abuse by religious leaders and traditional healers was held.

Among those taking part were young girls who said they fell victim to controversial Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso who was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting some of his parish members last year.

Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said some of the complainants who came forward with allegations of sexual assault by men of the cloth do not want their cases to be handled though the criminal justice system.

Some of them saw this as something that happened in a religious setting and should rather be resolved in that way.

Others did not want to come forward because their families were not aware of what had happened. Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said some victims had had repeated sexual encounters with their pastors after they were told that this would lead to them “getting jobs‚ progressing in their career‚ getting healing or lots of blessings will come their way”.

Of all the cases that the CRL had handled‚ the issue of sexual abuse by religious leaders was the toughest one.

Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said this was because of the environment in which the crimes happened. “When you are in a holy environment you believe that everyone wants to do the right thing.

“The holiness of the setting makes it more difficult to say no.

“There are also unbelievable levels of grooming‚” she said. – TimesLIVE