The Cromwell Institute

Have any of my fellow Australians read the Saturday Courier-Mail? For the benefit of those who haven't [whether from not liking it or not living in Australia, doesn't matter really], here is the front page main story.
<a href="http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,4512348%255E952,00.html" target="_blank">"Confession exposes priest sex cover-up"</a>

For those who have slow computers and hate following links, or if you are just lazy, here are the important pars.

"A LONG-serving Catholic priest, who has confessed to sexually abusing young children, says the church is aware of his sins but has never alerted police or parishioners.

Father Michael Joseph McArdle, 66, has admitted molesting altar boys saying his victims, some as young as 10, "wanted it".


And,

"I don't want to put the wrong thing before you but they didn't resist. To some extent they wanted it," said Fr McArdle, who retired in 1988 but is still involved privately with worshippers.

"Don't get me totally wrong there, they didn't object. You know when a kid doesn't want to do anything like that at all.

"I'm saying, perhaps I have phrased it wrong, it was just they didn't resist."

Fr McArdle has refused to turn himself into police because he did "not think the timing was right" and "there was too much phobia" about sex abuse. He said he did not need psychiatric help because "I'm dealing with it on a spiritual level and it's the only level I can trust".

AND...

"The Catholic Church has known of McArdle's abuse for more than 20 years and secretly dealt with five complainants, one in the 1970s and four who came forward in the late 1990s about offences in the 1980s.

Fr McArdle said one victim had gone to Bishop Bernard Wallace in Rockhampton in the 1970s complaining of the sex abuse.

Bishop Wallace, who died in 1990, transferred Fr McArdle to the neighbouring parish of Farleigh where he had re-offended.

Current Bishop of Rockhampton Brian Heenan said when he took over in 1990 there was nothing on the record to indicate Fr McArdle had committed any offences".


This makes me furiously, stunningly, rampagingly, unspeakably, ragingly, violently, murderously, ANGRY!! I have never felt so angry in my life, and never want to again. To say that 10 year olds wanted it because they didn't resist! I want to scream my vocal cords out.

Why hasn't this vile bacterium been arrested and charged yet? Why wasn't he handed over to the police the INSTANT abuse complaints were made against him?

I don't think i can write about this anymore without screaming [it is 12:30 am here, so i will definitely have to stop writing].

AtlanticCitySlave

I realize this topic makes you mad, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if some of them actually did. I mean, there's bound to be one or two gay young boys who enjoy it, or boys who just find some type of comfort in it. I say this because I can definitely say at 10 that I was checking out my teachers, had tried to look up the girls dresses, and all of that. A grown woman wanting us at 10 is a fantasy a lot of the time, so it wouldn't surprise me too much if someone (young) actually thought it a fantasy to be with a priest (or man), especially if they're a homosexual. If my priest was an attractive woman, I'd want her, even at 10.

brighid

A –

You must not understand the dynamics and power structure of sex abuse victims and their perpetrators. Perhaps some 10 year old boys have sexual thoughts, this DOES NOT mean they want or are capable of making decisions about sexual contact with adults. I have an 8 year old son, who has many friends who are 10-12 and I can tell you any NORMAL woman doesn’t look at a 10 year old child and WANT them sexually.

I am also a survivor of sexual abuse and I can tell you that the reason many of these victims don’t resist is because they are afraid to do so and are paralyzed with fear. In a priest/child relationship the child is taught these men are the closest thing to God and these men spend A LOT of time manipulating these impressionable children to break down their defenses and tell them it’s OK and this is what GOD wants you to do.

Man, you make me sick. Even if some of the children were homosexual that is NO excuse for an adult to abuse them. Children do not have the mental capabilities to understand sexual dynamics, or to make appropriate and healthy choices about sex. Sex between adults and children is wrong for this reason, and so many more.

Brighid

The Cromwell Institute

Thank you, brighid.

Atlantic city slave, children of 10 are not capable of making important decisions that will affect their whole lives. That is why we do not let 10 year olds drive cars and buy guns. Would you let a 30 year old with the mental capacity of a 10 year old sign a contract with a sweatshop condemning them to a lifetime of hard labor and exploitation, even though, with their LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION due to their insufficient mental capacity and knowledge of the world, they sincerely wanted to sign that contract? Discounting the possibility that the sweatshop owner, as a fully functioning adult, had exploited this diminished capacity?

That is what your post amounts to. How does that analogy sound?

brighid

Predatory molestors choose their prey very carefully and take their time in selecting children they know will be unlikely to protest. They often invest a great deal of time in earning their trust and manipulating their victims views of sex. Children are impressionable and vulnerable and they type of tactics these monsters use do not work on fully cognitive adults. The victims of these predators are also threatened with violence, humiliation and shame to keep them submissive. The lack of outward protest is irrelevant to the crimes being committed specifically because the predator has put time, energy and the power of his authoritative and in this case, Godly position to manipulate and coerce the “acceptance” of the child. The intimidation, manipulation and secretive acts of these men demonstrate their knowledge that said acts are wrong, immoral and criminal. They are fully aware that their actions damage these children and must be kept secret in order to protect their activities.

Sex between adults and children is NOT consensual and it is a crime for good reason. These predatory priests cannot be rehabilitated and they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We should not allow ourselves to be desensitized to the severity of the situation through misinformation and the disgusting justifications these men use to rationalize and water down their crimes.

B

The Cromwell Institute

*Applause*

Proxima Centauri

What sort of a slave are you, AtlanticCitySlave? Are you normal?

Queen of Swords

Originally posted by AtlanticCitySlave:
<strong>I mean, there's bound to be one or two gay young boys who enjoy it, or boys who just find some type of comfort in it. </strong>

I wonder if the priest was careful to pick only gay boys, or boys who found comfort in sexual contact with an adult who had sworn never to touch anyone in that way. What do you think? Is there some screening process/experiment by which one can tell which children like this sort of contact and which don't?

<strong>I say this because I can definitely say at 10 that I was checking out my teachers, had tried to look up the girls dresses, and all of that.</strong>

Would it therefore have been acceptable for one such teacher to attempt to have sex with you? Is 10 an appropriate cut-off age for adults to consider sexual activity with children, in your opinion?

<strong>A grown woman wanting us at 10 is a fantasy a lot of the time, </strong>

Well, I've had fantasies about a pirate sweeping me on to the deck of his sailing ship. Doesn't mean that it's going to happen. Doesn't mean that, if it happens, I'm going to be delighted. There's a reason it's called a fantasy.

<strong>so it wouldn't surprise me too much if someone (young) actually thought it a fantasy to be with a priest (or man), especially if they're a homosexual. </strong>

Even assuming that such fantasies occurred, do you think that they justify the priest's breaking of 1. his vows 2. the law 3. the trust implicit in his position?

In other words, is a fantasy suitable justification for sexual overtures from an adult, who is in a position of authority, to a child, someone who isn't old enough to make a decision about whether he can drive, smoke or drink, much less have sex?

MadMordigan

Well, I've had fantasies about a pirate sweeping me on to the deck of his sailing ship.

Arrrrr, prepare to be boarded!

Queen of Swords

Unhand me speedily, thou scurvy wretch!