Sexual misconduct scandals remind clergy victims of abuse
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| You gonna molest me, father? - Maybe later. |
PORTLAND, Oregon - When
stories of [rape and lesser] sexual misconduct by powerful men began to fill the news this
fall, Manny Vega immediately flashed back to his childhood [molested by a Catholic priest].
He saw
strong similarities between the recent allegations against [patriarch "fathers"] producers and
politicians and his own abuse as a child by his parish priest.
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| Why do Catholic priests cut so many deals with their Devil? |
"The parallels are in the power dynamics," said Vega, a former police
officer and decorated Marine who lives in Oxnard, California.
"Whether
you're the leader of a church or the leader of a film studio, you're
going to be someone people look up to and someone people go to for
guidance. It puts the victim at a horrible disadvantage."
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| Harvey Weinstein and possible willing victim |
While there are key differences, the sexual
harassment detailed in today's headlines shares the same well-worn
themes that made it so hard for Vega and hundreds of other clergy abuse
victims to come forward more than a decade ago: fear of retribution and
disbelief, impossible power dynamics, and confidential settlements that
bury complaints.
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| If Harvey can, why not We Too? |
Powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is
under investigation for sexual assault in four cities.
And he has been
accused of everything from [rape to] unwanted come-ons to groping by dozens of
women, including A-list actresses. He has apologized for his behavior
with women but denied having nonconsensual sex. He has not been charged
with a crime.
In the fallout, dozens of other high-profile men... More
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