{"id":10587,"date":"2021-08-23T05:30:03","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T05:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/?page_id=10587"},"modified":"2023-07-06T17:00:08","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T17:00:08","slug":"sexual-assault-clergy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/sexual-assault-clergy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sexual Assault by Clergy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexual assault is defined as any form of sexual contact that occurs without the consent of the recipient. This form of abuse can occur at<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/sexual-assault-school\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">schools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/sexual-assault-vacation\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">during vacations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or even at church.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexual abuse by clergy occurs when a member of the clergy abuses a non-consenting person, usually minors. Clergy sex abuse in the Catholic church typically involves priests. For this reason, clergy abuse is also referred to as priest abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on to know more about <a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/sexual-assault\/\">sexual assault<\/a> by clergy. With this article, you\u2019ll learn your legal options if you or your loved ones are a victim of clergy abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>What is Sexual Assault by Clergy?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/08\/unnamed-3-1.png\" alt=\"What is Sexual Assault by Clergy?\" width=\"512\" height=\"341\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10589 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/08\/unnamed-3-1.png 512w, https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/08\/unnamed-3-1-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clergy abuse happens when a person in a ministerial role engages in sexual behavior with a parishioner or congregant. This can involve lay leaders, pastors, camp staff, volunteer church leaders, or other representatives of a faith community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexual assault typically involves unwanted physical contact from the abuser. These physical touches may include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tickling or other playful, aggressive touches that may be uncomfortable to you<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAccidental&#8221; touch of sexual areas of the body<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A prolonged hug or pressing up against your body when hugging<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexual intercourse with your religious leader<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, you must keep in mind that clergy abuse isn\u2019t limited to physical assault. It can also include any of the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making suggestive comments<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talking about their sexual exploits<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asking about the intimate details of your relationships<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking for sympathy about their partner&#8217;s sexual inadequacies<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sending inappropriate gifts, such as lingerie\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone can be a victim of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/sexual-assault\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sexual assault<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It affects people of all sexual orientations, genders, and ages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although sexual abuse by priests is not a new problem, it\u2019s only recently that church officials and other religious organizations have acknowledged the issue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>When Does an Act Become Sexual Assault?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexual contact or sexualized behavior by priests is a clear violation of professional ethics. There\u2019s a difference in power between a person in a ministerial role and a member of their congregation. Because of this, you cannot give meaningful consent to a sexual relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At challenging times, people usually seek support from their religious leader. At times of stress, you\u2019re emotionally vulnerable and be taken advantage of by a religious leader.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To help you determine whether you\u2019re a victim of sexual abuse by clergy, read the list below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The priest or the religious leader gives you an unusual amount of attention<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re uncomfortable and confused with the interactions with your religious leader<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The religious leader touches you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable or upset<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The priest spends an unusual amount of time on you<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are receiving personal and inappropriate gifts from the religious leader<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The priest invites you out for intimate, social occasions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>What To Do if You\u2019re a Victim of Sexual Assault<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/08\/unnamed-2-2.png\" alt=\"What To Do if You\u2019re a Victim of Sexual Assault\" width=\"512\" height=\"342\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10588 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/08\/unnamed-2-2.png 512w, https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/08\/unnamed-2-2-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you or a loved one is a victim of sexual abuse by clergy, you must seek help.\u00a0 Researchers noted that sexual assault by priests could result in learned helplessness and depression in victims.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is recommended to visit a health professional who can help you cope with the trauma you\u2019ve experienced. It may be difficult for you to talk, but sharing your confusion, anxiety, and fear with someone who can help you recover is a step in the right direction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must know that you are not to blame, even if you agreed to the relationship in the beginning. Remember that the difference in power between you and your religious leader invalidates any meaningful consent in the relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you intend to speak up against your abuser, the first step to take is finding out if your congregation has a specific regulation for dealing with complaints about clergy misconduct. If you plan to take legal action, consult an expert attorney who can help you file a lawsuit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\"><b><i>If you\u2019re a victim of sexual assault by a clergyperson, contact Diamond &amp; Diamond Lawyers today! The sooner you call,\u00a0 the sooner we can press charges against your abusers.<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>Let Diamond &amp; Diamond Lawyers Assist You<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Diamond &amp; Diamond, we understand how much courage it takes for sexual assault victims to speak up and come forward.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a victim of clergy abuse, contact us now and we\u2019ll evaluate your case for free.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our team of dedicated attorneys at Diamond &amp; Diamond Law is committed to offering you the best legal assistance. Call us today and know more about our company and our other practice areas, like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/slip-and-fall\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slips and falls<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/car-accidents\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">car accidents<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" bis_size=\"{&quot;x&quot;:10,&quot;y&quot;:5760,&quot;w&quot;:825,&quot;h&quot;:39,&quot;abs_x&quot;:193,&quot;abs_y&quot;:6431}\">\t\n\t\t\t<section class=\"h-protip-sec\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"63\" height=\"64\" src=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/Screenshot_1-1.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"pro tip icon\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Pro Tip <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you believe that abuse is taking place at your place of worship, talk to the victims and convince them to report the abuse.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;FAQs About Sexual Assault by Clergy&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:26|text_align:left|color:%23000000&#8243; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal&#8221;][vc_toggle title=&#8221;What should I do if I am a victim of sexual assault?&#8221; style=&#8221;square_outline&#8221; color=&#8221;black&#8221; size=&#8221;sm&#8221; el_id=&#8221;1584353198194-a95163f0-0fa2&#8243;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must seek professional help to recover from the traumatic experience of sexual abuse. If you plan on filing a lawsuit, consult an expert personal injury attorney who can help you win your legal fight against your abuser.<\/span>[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=&#8221;Is attempted rape a form of sexual assault?&#8221; style=&#8221;square_outline&#8221; color=&#8221;black&#8221; size=&#8221;sm&#8221; el_id=&#8221;1590068841478-a892a00f-0a8b&#8221;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attempted rape is a form of sexual assault. Other forms of sexual assault include rape, sexual touching without explicit consent, and sexual coercion.<\/span>[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=&#8221;What is the statute of limitations for sexual assault?&#8221; style=&#8221;square_outline&#8221; color=&#8221;black&#8221; size=&#8221;sm&#8221; el_id=&#8221;1590068840952-b22c6a4e-291c&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the US, sta<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tutes of limitation for sexual assault vary depending on the type of crime, age of the victim, and where the crime took place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, Canada has no <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">statute of limitations on filing criminal charges for sexual assault. This means that victims can file criminal charges at any point in their lifetime.<\/span>[\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sexual assault is defined as any form of sexual contact that occurs without the consent of the recipient. This form of abuse can occur at schools, during vacations, or even at church. Sexual abuse by clergy occurs when a member of the clergy abuses a non-consenting person, usually minors. Clergy sex abuse in the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2498,"menu_order":272,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"diamondlaw-templates\/pi-inner.php","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10587","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10587\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}