Clergy who sexually abuse adults could face prison under a proposed California bill

[Michie]

(OSV News) — A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prohibit sexual abuse of adults by clergy, imposing fines and imprisonment for violators.

State Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, filed Senate Bill 894, which expands and clarifies existing law to establish criminal penalties for offending clergy.

“A member of the clergy who is in a position of trust or authority over an adult parishioner and who engages in an act of sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual contact with that adult parishioner is guilty of sexual exploitation by a member of the clergy,” the bill states.

Specifically, the bill bans the use of consent as a defense in cases when accused clergy are in a counseling or supervisory relationship with the victim. The bill does not apply to “sexual contact between a member of the clergy and their spouse or person in an equivalent domestic relationship.”

Depending upon the number of offenses and victims, maximum penalties range from six months to three years of imprisonment, and fines from $1,000 to $10,000.

Sexualized theology led to assaults​

Continued below.

Clergy who sexually abuse adults could face prison under a proposed California bill

A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prohibit sexual abuse of adults by clergy, imposing fines and imprisonment for violators.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

 

[chevyontheriver]

(OSV News) — A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prohibit sexual abuse of adults by clergy, imposing fines and imprisonment for violators.

State Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, filed Senate Bill 894, which expands and clarifies existing law to establish criminal penalties for offending clergy.

“A member of the clergy who is in a position of trust or authority over an adult parishioner and who engages in an act of sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual contact with that adult parishioner is guilty of sexual exploitation by a member of the clergy,” the bill states.

Specifically, the bill bans the use of consent as a defense in cases when accused clergy are in a counseling or supervisory relationship with the victim. The bill does not apply to “sexual contact between a member of the clergy and their spouse or person in an equivalent domestic relationship.”

Depending upon the number of offenses and victims, maximum penalties range from six months to three years of imprisonment, and fines from $1,000 to $10,000.

Minnesota had this sort of law for at least a decade. I knew of a priest who did some prison time for this very thing. A different guy than in the article.

Sexualized theology led to assaults​

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, then-Father Bertrand’s “holy conversations” — involving sexualized mystical theology — led to sexual assaults, one of which he told his victim was “the second holiest sacrifice next to Jesus and Mary on Calvary.”

This is where it gets interesting for me. It sounds almost like an Argentine author whose book recently resurfaced after he almost successfully covered it up.

How many clerical abusers have a sexualized spirituality? I know there are many clerical abusers who have a more 'philosophical' abuse pattern following Plato and his abuse of adolescent boys. And others that abuse mostly because they were abused. But the spiritualized abuse is a different beast I've only recently been aware of with Rupnik and now Fernandez and then this guy. Oh, then there was the priest in Louisiana caught in the act desecrating an altar with a prostitute about a year ago. Oh, and that was part of the story line for Malachi Martin's 'Windswept House'. Maybe this is half-way common.