Sexual abuse in Catholic churches

Pope Francis is perhaps the first Pope to have ever acknowledged sexual abuse crimes committed within the Catholic churches around the world. Regrettably, however, he is still far from recognising the root causes identified by the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Shocking cases of abuse within Catholic churches have remained uncovered over the years. Like a domino effect, one sin has led to another—the horror of child sexual abuse has been compounded by the sin of historical cover-ups. So, while Pope Francis' acknowledgement is an important development, measures must be taken so that the victims get justice and no cover-ups take place.

Mohammad Kabir, By e-mail