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Hong Kong advocates on why church sex abuse cases take time to surface
An imbalance of power in churches, a culture of secrecy and the misuse of theology are among the significant barriers victims face in reporting sexual abuse cases, advocates have said, after a retired Hong Kong pastor was arrested in connection with an assault on a minor in the 1990s.
An NGO and a Christian group on Sunday called on religious groups to establish sexual harassment policies, noting that sexually abused children took 13 years on average to seek help.
They also urged authorities to review legislation on sex offences to help encourage more survivors to come forward.
Doris Chong Tsz-wai, executive director of RainLily, said child victims of sexual abuse often took time to report their cases as it was difficult for them to immediately comprehend what had happened, especially in religious settings.
'The high authority and status of church pastors make it especially hard for a child to grasp the situation and speak out,' she said.
'Some may also be confused as to whether it was an act of harm or care ... until they grow up and realise they have been taken advantage of.'
A study based on data from the NGO found that survivors of sexual violence on average waited four years and two months before seeking help.
Those who experienced sexual abuse as a child took 13 years because many were assaulted by family members and feared repercussions, according to the findings.
The NGO explained why some victims took time to contact authorities after a retired priest was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a child more than 30 years ago.
A 44-year-old woman who filed a police report late last month alleged that she had been sexually assaulted twice by a pastor at a Sham Shui Po church in 1993 and 1994, when she was 13 years old.
The pastor, 66, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of buggery with a girl under 21 and indecency with a child under 16. He was released on bail pending investigation.
Chong said child sexual abuse cases were difficult to prosecute as victims had to tell police about every incident in minute detail, often years after the fact.
'Child sexual abuse often takes place persistently over an extended period, but victims still have to recall and describe them all one by one,' she said.
'It is not only challenging but also unreasonable to victims ... if they are subject to the same set of requirements as others.'
Chong called on authorities to consider following the example of Australia, which only requires prosecutors to prove the defendant committed an unlawful sexual act more than three times, or twice in some states, within a specified period.
Under the Australian model, prosecutors do not need to prove offences took place on the dates recalled by victims or in the exact manner that they were alleged.
Jessica Tso Hiu-tung, executive secretary of the Hong Kong Christian Council, said churches often promoted a family-like culture where worshippers called each other 'brother' and 'sister' – an environment that was abused by some.
'Some perpetrators take advantage of this mentality, blurring boundaries and harming a person in the name of 'love' ... and those cases are not disclosed because it is considered bad to hang your family's dirty laundry out in public,' she said.
'Forgiveness, which is a core theological belief of Christianity, is also misused by some abusers and churches to prevent victims from seeking help.'
Tso said the council had been promoting the establishment of clear sexual harassment policies. It had also seen increased awareness in recent years, especially following the #MeToo movement that pushed for accountability for sexual misconduct.
The most active religious groups were those that were affected by past scandals, she said.
'Some churches remain very cautious and unwilling to talk about it out of a fear of losing congregation members, but some are opening up and referring victims to NGOs,' Tso said.
'Nevertheless, the hierarchical power structure remains the biggest challenge for churches in handling those incidents because the perpetrators could be at the core of power and might often be the final decision makers.'
Tso said the council could not handle complaints, but some churches sought its opinion on cases. She said churches should do more than simply hand over responsibility to police.
'Churches need to establish their own anti-harassment policies; they should not handle complaints in isolation. Instead, they need to systematically promote awareness and continually support the victim,' she said.
The council in 2018 recorded 55 sexual harassment cases linked to churches, half of them allegedly committed by pastors or church leaders. One in five reported cases involved rape or attempted rape.
Tso said the group was conducting another round of surveys and called on more victims to come forward.
The Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church, which runs the Living Stone Church where the recently reported assaults allegedly took place, declined to comment on the case as investigations were under way. The church has vowed to fully cooperate with police. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
