Clergy outed in gender-based violence by leader

A PROMINENT church leader in KwaZulu-Natal, the Right Reverend Dino Gabriel, has lifted the lid on the involvement of senior members of the clergy in perpetrating gender-based violence.

Among those involved, he says, are lay and ordained ministers.

Gabriel, who is the Anglican Bishop of Natal, made the disclosure in a hard-hitting statement this week, following a report from a committee of the Anglican Diocese which looked into the issue of gender-based violence (GBV).

He was strongly supported by his predecessor, retired bishop Rubin Phillip, who warned that people who are aware of such abuse and remained silent are guilty of being accomplices.

Bishop Gabriel said South Africa had the “shameful claim” to having one of the highest rates of femicide in the world today.

“Just as shameful is the fact that the church has often been part of the problem. Lay and ordained ministers have been perpetrators of abuse,” he said.

He did not go into detail on specific incidents of abuse involving church leaders that had been uncovered, but bemoaned the fact that the church had remained silent about what he called “the epidemic”.

“We have failed to listen to and believe members who have tried to speak out.”

Bishop Gabriel said despite South Africa having an excellent constitution, its people continued to live in one of the most unjust and violent countries in the world.

“Similarly, we (the church) have a set of pastoral standards to which every licensed cleric and lay minister subscribes.

“Yet these pastoral standards seem also to be ignored.”

The Anglican Diocese in Natal, he said, was exploring ways in which it can work against gender-based violence and become more “loving communities”.

The diocese will be looking at opportunities for training, the gathering of resources and exploring how churches can become “safe places”, especially during preparations for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.

Over the next few months, the diocese plans to gather three support teams located in Ladysmith, Pietermaritzburg and Durban which will comprise trained counsellors, psychologists and social workers who will give their time to survivors of abuse and, where appropriate, set up survivor groups who can support each other.

“The committee is also busy compiling a list of resources so that if a clergy person or lay minister is approached by someone who has been abused, we all have the necessary information to assist with reporting the abuse, where necessary, assisting the survivor to move to a place of safety, and to receive appropriate counselling.”

He also urged members of the diocese to participate in the “Thursday in Black” movement.

Supporting Gabriel on his stand against GBV, Phillip, former dean of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, commended the diocese for taking steps to address this “growing and disturbing problem”, which, he said, tragically also involves children.

“A crucial aspect that needs to be drilled into every bishop or priest or pastor is this: you have to report all cases of sexual abuse to the police. “If you choose to remain silent or in any way attempt to cover it over, then you become an accomplice.”