Report: Homosexuality no factor in abusive priests

[ccharles000]

BALTIMORE — A preliminary report commissioned by the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops to investigate the clergy sex abuse scandal has found no evidence that gay priests are more likely than heterosexual clergy to molest children, the lead authors of the study said Tuesday.

The full report by researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice won’t be completed until the end of next year. But the authors said their evidence to date found no data indicating that homosexuality was a predictor of abuse.

“What we are suggesting is that the idea of sexual identity be separated from the problem of sexual abuse,” said Margaret Smith of John Jay College, in a speech to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “At this point, we do not find a connection between homosexual identity and the increased likelihood of subsequent abuse from the data that we have right now.”

The question has been raised repeatedly within and outside the church because the overwhelming majority of known victims were boys. As part of the church’s response to the crisis, the Vatican ordered a review of all U.S. seminaries that, among other issues, looked for any “evidence of homosexuality” in the schools.

Yet, many experts on sex offenders reject any link between sexual orientation and committing abuse. Karen Terry, a John Jay researcher, said it was important to distinguish between sexual identity and behavior, and to look at who the offender had access to when seeking victims.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/317950.php

[tbyg52]

1. Report from the no @#$ Sherlock department!

Sometimes they *can* see the truth when they are hit across the head with it. :applause:

[Beregond2]

2. It's been known for many years

that sexual abuse of children is far more likely to be perpetrated by heterosexual men than by gay men, regardless of the sex of the victim. The church doesn't care. They have to have someone to demonize, and gays are handy.

[Skittles]

3. there are straights and gays and then there are child molesters

I believe pedophiles are a class all on their own

[mrbarber]

4. Also in that report-

Water is wet and the sky is blue.

[roguevalley]

5. this is good. another argument falls.

[Raster]

7. And Ratzi the Nazi is still wearing red shoes.

Evidently the devil does wear Prada.

[burning rain]

6. This is good.

But keep in mind the RCC, certainly its more conservative factions, perceive a stake in pretending otherwise. The spurious argument that the pedophile problem is a gay problem arose after gay rights started to advance, because it allowed the Church to deny that the celibate priesthood was naturally a special draw for people with twisted sexualities (pedophiles), that it was instead a matter of disobedient gays who sought to invade the priesthood.