Is celibacy a factor in clerical child abuse?
He then goes on to say that the clergy (of any religion) represent only 1.3 % of abusers in the country.
I don’t know where he gets his figures, but assuming his numbers are correct, we can do a little extrapolation. Firstly, the vast majority of child sex abusers are male and, secondly, male clergy in Ireland make up about 0.4% of the male population. That would suggest, by Rónán’s own figures, that male clergy are over three times more likely than the average Irish male to commit acts of sexual abuse on children.
If it’s not celibacy, then what is it about being a member of the clergy that seems to produce this effect?
Jaime Hyland
Heinrich-Mann-Str 26
13156 Berlin
Germany
