Church covered up child sexual abuse

LETTERS:

I have just finished reading the damning report into the negligence of the Anglican Church under the leadership of Dr Ian George towards protection of child sexual abuse victims.  The entrenched practice of cover-up is truly shocking and a betrayal of the concept of Christian principles.  Where protection of young children should have been the basis of pastoral care, unfortunately, for the victims, mostly boys, it remains the traditional response of the laws and tenets of faith. These were  written by men for men and in support of them. Most religions have a bias in ensuring control of women and children; this is a prime example of the abuse of that approach. We can only hope that the Church can make amends and be far more diligent in future.  It is time for all women to take heed of the great Harkness Professor of Theology Mary Daly from Harvard University who suggested in her aptly-named book Deliver us from Eve that the time for leadership positions in Christian and other faiths is now a critical need.  Ordained women priests, pastors and ministers of Christian faiths would be an appropriate step towards stamping out child sexual abuse within the ecumenical church community.

Dr Pamela Schulz, OAM.