I absolutely agree that church hierarchies have a lot to answer for. One of the things that puzzles me about the child abuse crimes in the churches is that the enablers have never been charged. My understanding is that someone who conceals a crime or abets in the continuation of a crime is an accessory to that crime and can be charged. Until we see these people charged along with the actual perpetrators, justice will not have been done.

In relation to the preponderance of male child victims, I believe there was research done in recent years which revealed that many priests regarded sex with someone who was not a woman as not breaking their vow of celibacy

Good essay.
Meanwhile http://www.vaticancrimes.us

Please remember that sexual abuse is the pointy end of the story and by far the most serious. However, there are maybe one hundred times more victims of physical abuse - all those cowering children tormented at the hands of strap-happy or feather-duster-wielding nuns and brothers and who as adults have never forgotten or forgiven.

Estelle is right.
I well remember the nuns throwing heavy blackboard dusters at kids heads during class. If we annoyed them on hot days, then all the windows and doors were shut, and we were left in a locked classroom for hours to 'contemplate on our sins'.

Rulers wacking our hands/fingers and the backs of our legs/buttocks left large red welts.
My parents never said much because they suffered even worse punishments at Catholic boarding schools!

If this current Royal commission into child sexual abuse doesn't result in many Catholic clergy being jailed for abuse of kids, as well as their dreadful superiors who hid the facts, then it was a failure.

The same things happened in state schools which I attended. We were assaulted left, right and centre. Well do I remember, as a seven year old, getting the flogging of my life for not having done my homework. Result: large, red welts on my legs. When my father complained to the headmaster I got another flogging by the same teacher.

yep and the self righteous no smacking brigade with many exagarated stories have created a society filled with violence including rape, murder, incest and drug abuse. Oh if we were not like those evil ones who disciplined and turned most into reasonably peaceful human beings. Such balance.