Recordings show church fixers offering victims money to cover up abuse

[drumdude]

https://apnews.com/article/Mormon-churc ... 48690caf16

AP AUDIO: Recordings show how the Mormon church protects itself from child sex abuse claims

Sound of Paul Rytting, director of the Risk Management Division for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, making a $300,000 offer to Chelsea Goodrich and her mother Lorriane in exchange for their silence regarding Chelsea’s father John Goodrich, who Chelsea accused of sexually abusing her.

Just as Jesus Christ intended. Remember, Daniel Peterson says the church doesn’t have an abuse problem. So all of these AP stories are just bunk.

[Dr Moore]

This is surely a damning ongoing scandal. But defenders will point out that in the ID case, the church may have done all it could and appears even to have been generous with the settlement as a sort of consolation prize, given state law on clergy-penitent privilege.

The abuse happened 20 years prior to confession in 2015. Perp was excommunicated. However, since ID state law forbade the bishop from testifying in what probably would have been an open-shut criminal case, church offered to pay a generous ($300k) settlement to the victim. However, perpetrator received minimal jail time and is now free, practicing dentistry.

So, the settlement payment may have been generous for victim, but what AP seems to be showing here is the systematic pattern that allows criminal abusers to avoid criminal prosecution and penalties. Some of that is the church's fault, while state law is to blame as well.

In this instance, the church may have had its hands bound by state law, but AP has pointed out earlier that in states where clergy reporting is optional, church standard operating practice remains to advise bishops NOT to report.

Showing that the LDS leader lied under oath in the VA trial about record keeping by the abuse hotline. In the VA case, he said records were destroyed at the end of each day. In the ID case, sounds like he promised to check the hotline records for answers. So, the records do exist... but under oath, he previously said they don't. Seems like a lie. Ouch.

[drumdude]

In states where clergy reporting is optional, church standard operating practice remains to advise bishops NOT to report.

This is the part that needs to change. This is the part the church doesn’t want to change. They still entertain the delusion that they have discernment and authority which overrides common decency and prudence.