Hats off to Jamie Dean for an outstanding cover story in World magazine about child sexual abuse within Christian communities (families, churches, ministries) and the enormous cost of not reporting incidents to the appropriate secular authorities. As Dean writes, “Adults may not intend to fail victims of sexual abuse, but experts say churches make a common mistake of trying to handle abuse allegations on their own.”
The opening:
From the floor-to-ceiling windows on the sixth floor of the Manatee County Courthouse, a sweeping view extends across the Manatee River as it spills into Tampa Bay. The skies darkened as heavy rains poured down here in Bradenton, Fla., on a September day. In courtroom 6-A, another storm brewed: Jeremy Bicha, 29, seated behind a wide defense table, heard testimony from two women he’d already admitted to sexually abusing when they were young girls.
Access to the full story requires membership (or a subscription to World–an excellent investment), but you can also sign-up for a risk-free, 30-Day FREE Trial Membership.
(Photo by Natasha Schmale/Genesis)