Summary
On December 13, 2002, Cardinal Bernard Law resigned as the archbishop of the Boston Archdiocese and as the nation’s most senior Roman Catholic prelate. Law’s resignation was the culmination of a year-long controversy in which the cardinal was accused of covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests over a period of decades and then transferring the priests to other parishes where, in many cases, they continued to sexually exploit other children. Although much of the media's coverage of clergy sexual misconduct has focused on Catholic priests, sexual misconduct among clergy of all faiths occurs more frequently than most people realize.
Documenting this devastating problem in many faiths, Sexual Misconduct and the Clergy examines all facets of clergy sexual misconduct. In a current and complete overview of the topic, this reference provides historical context, examines the scope of the problem, and presents a balanced account of efforts to deal with the problem of sexual misconduct by clergy of all faiths. Examining both the human and the financial costs of the scandal, this comprehensive volume reviews legislation and lawsuits relating to sexual misconduct and includes lists of the statute of limitations, the mandatory reporting laws in each state, and statistics about sex offenders. An additional chapter on how to research the topic, appendixes of laws and court cases, and a list of applicable organizations and agencies make this reference an invaluable resource for anyone studying this current issue.
Specifications
Index. Appendixes. Bibliography. Glossary. Chronology.
About the Author(s)
Jeffrey Ferro received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a certificate of litigation from the UCLA Extension Attorney Assistant Program, in association with the UCLA School of Law. He is currently a senior paralegal with the Los Angeles County Office of the Public Defender, where he develops and writes social histories of defendants and detailed sentencing reports for felony trial attorneys. Author of Juvenile Crime and Sexual Misconduct and the Clergy, two volumes in the Library in a Book series, he has contributed to several works in the area of social issues, including crime, prisons and jails, and gun control.