Daffy Duck.
It is quite remarkable; that you are to my knowledge, to have mentioned the nuns, in the plethora of what has been written about child abuse.

During the fifties, I travelled to school with quite a few girls who attended the local convent, and it was not unusual for one or another to be in a considerable state of distress because of the actions of their superiors. It would be interesting to hear their stories first hand and see whether our suspicions of mistreatment had any foundations in fact.

David

Rome may well have no monopoly on child abuse, but does seem to have a peculiar monopoly, on protecting those who do?
Perhaps it's a case, of like attracting like, and or, like protecting and sheltering like?
[Well so and so, was doing it too!]
Is never ever justification, and indeed, the most juvenile justification ever put, of indelible indefensible infeasibility!
The Holy Roman Catholic Church, may not have a monopoly on Child abuse, but it is supposed to have some sort of monopoly, on the so-called moral compass, which if correctly calibrated, would see, perverted defilers defrocked, and then handed over to the appropriate authorities, to be treated, or properly and professionally helped, just like any other offender, or sick son of a bi---.
Simply put, one can't actually chose God; given, it is only ever God, that does all the choosing!
And it is hardly likely, that deceitful perverts; and or, compulsive liars, are on his personal invitation list!?
Therefore, any special treatment argument, that one is somehow serving God, is clearly both null and void, and protecting recidivist offenders, never ever sanctified!
If there were no A.D., man-made requirement, for entirely unnatural celibacy, few if any of these recidivists would be attracted to the Church initially; and if they weren't also serially protected, even fewer would aspire to "HOLY ORDERS"!?
Rhrosty.

An interesting assortment of views and opinions for sure ?

As a retired detective, you can be assured these vile crimes are NOT just within the exclusive aegis of the Catholic Church. Nor is it uniquely a crime perpetrated by males.

Sadistic physical punishment has most certainly been committed by females. Females holding all manner of positions of influence. And this violence has been infliced upon both male and female children.

It's quite correct to contend, the overall occurrences of (sexual) abuse of children, has been committed almost entirely by males. In my time, there were only a few substantiated complaints of sexual abuse alleged of females.

For anybody to assert it's common only to members of the Catholic Church, is talking patent nonsense.

Myself, I'm a 'born again atheist'. I left ALL my religious furore back in South Vietnam, in 1967/68.

I care little what you believe or don't believe. Any crime occasioned against a child is both depraved and iniquitous to the extreme.

o sung wu, I agree with your concluding sentence and your observation about males being the predominant molesters.

If you Google images using 'pedophiles' you will see a collection of depraved individuals who, in many cases, look what they are.

Serial molesters should be kept locked up or castrated, one or the other.

'evening to you DAVID G...

I couldn't agree with you more, when you say significant gaol is what these people deserve, or is it ?

I'm not particularly well educated DAVID G., so I'm quite confused, apropos one significant element of this type of heinous crime. And it is, a crime ?

I was involved in taking a statement from of these blokes, and if it's not generally known, police are required to 'prove' each element of the offence. It's known as the 'Criminal Proofs' of that offence. And each 'Proof' MUST be proved in order to successfully convict the offender.

During this interview, I asked '...what was the reason you decided to touch-up this lad...' or language to that effect ?

He said he didn't know, and I believed him ? It doesn't in anyway remove culpability, but I've often asked other offender's the same question, receiving the same answer.

And I've often asked myself, and other detectives working similar matters -

Are these blokes actually 'sick' or, are they just vile criminals, or is it possible, they're both ?

If they are sick, isn't it possible science may, one day be able to cure 'em, or at the very least chemically control those peculiarly, abnormal urges these people are apparently endowed with ?

I don't know ? Or do we simply lock 'em up for years, at taxpayers expense, and throw away the key ? Or should we merely execute them ?

The Royal Commission, may well uncover a veritable monster, in some of the most respected public institutions in the country ?

And then what ?

No other group, even if some members are guilty of child sexual abuse, have the albatross of 40 suicides hanging around its neck.

Some catholic brothers and priests in the schools and churches of Ballarat have hung that particular cross around the church's neck.

DCI Peter Fox, on the Lateline program mentioned 400 incidents in the Hunter area almost every one related to a catholic religious or teaching functionary.