Clergy sexual abuse happens in churches all over the world, even in the great white north. Chad Blaine Mossing was a church volunteer working with youth at several churches. He was convicted of 11 counts of sexual assault.
Fifteen of the offences occurred in Mission, with others in Merritt and Oliver, B.C. from around 1998 until August 2007. The investigation was conducted by the Kelowna and Mission RCMP detachments.
All of the victims, except one, were boys.
Two of the abused children reported abuse…
Court documents show that the first two victims reported the incidents to other adults but the behaviour was brushed aside and was not reported to police at that time.
One girl took it to her pastor…
In 2002, Mossing sexually touched a girl, then 13 or 14, when she was part of a group he took on a trip. The following day, the girl confronted Mossing and a pastor, but she was made to feel as if she had over-reacted.
Does this sound familiar? It happens in so many of these cases. Unsupervised access to children in the name of spiritual development is an open door to pedophiles. Add a church culture that blindly trusts Christians as incapable of committing these acts and its the perfect storm for abuse. When Church officials protect adults over children, it’s time to find another church.
At least Mossing will spend a few years in prison.
