UT--LDS Church flat-out wrong about one-on-one interviews with children, Victims group says
Statement by Joelle Casteix, SNAP Western Regional Leader, [email protected], 949-322-7434
No other reputable institutional church, private or public school, sports group, youth serving organization, or community center allows one-on-one meetings between adults and children. Why? It’s an invitation for sexual abuse. Why is the LDS church endorsing this horrible practice?
This week, the LDS Church defended conducting one-on-one interviews between high-ranking church officials and 12-to-17-year-old congregation members, saying that "Personal interviews are an important part of ministering to those in a congregation.” In these interviews, many of the adults ask the children about sex, masturbation, and pornography.
This week, the LDS Church defended conducting one-on-one interviews between high-ranking church officials and 12-to-17-year-old congregation members, saying that "Personal interviews are an important part of ministering to those in a congregation.” In these interviews, many of the adults ask the children about sex, masturbation, and pornography.
The ramifications of these meetings are horrific. They are an invitation for sexual abuse and exploitation. Even though parents are invited to be in the hallway next door, putting a child alone in a room with an adult in a position of power—who can ask the child probing questions about sex—is an open invitation for predators. What child will report that something bad happened during a meeting that the LDS Church calls a “sacred opportunity?” Our experience has shown us predators will abuse kids while their parents were in the next room or down the hall. All they need is a closed door.
We salute Sam Young, a former LDS Bishop who exposed this practice and is circulating a petition to stop it. We hope that LDS Church leaders embrace him and his idea, instead of shunning him. He is a hero for the children of LDS.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 members. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact – Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected]), Melanie Sakoda, (925-708-6175, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
Showing 6 comments
Thank you for drawing attention to this dangerous practice Joelle.
I hope that Leah Remini chooses to focus the spotlight on the Mormon cult for their behaviors and practices.
One girl wrote about having her vagina anointed because she touched it – masturbating. That is considered a huge sin. Someone needs to make it stop.
You can read my story here:
https://invisiblescubit.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/pedophiles-in-priesthood-power-amys-story/
Thank you, Joelle Castiex, for weighing in on this important issue.
In my story you will read about a layer to all this that causes me to wonder how many molest cases might the LDS Church have payed off —like the long list of cases in the movie Spotlight wherein the Catholic Church was paying off victims of molest by priests out of court —to eliminate an easily detected paper trail of the extent of these molested.
The offer that Von G. Keetch (attorney and General Authority of the LDS Church) made to an attorney I spoke with about the Mormon bishop who molested me —of a monetary compensation -would have been exactly that…. a monetary compensation in exchange for my agreement to NEVER speak publicly about being molested by a Mormon bishop… all handled out of court. No paper trail.
Does the hierarchy of the Mormon church even care that the ramifications of these interviews are horrific… and that they are an invitation for sexual abuse and exploitation?
We shall see – when we find out whether they stop these interviews or not.
-Joelle!I hope the LDS church gets its Spotlight moment to overhaul this practice and do more to protect real people.
Your expert statement and influence is so appreciated.
I signed the petition, I hope many more do too.