Systemic Cover-up of Sexual Abuse in Churches
Rachael Denhollander reveals in her book, “What is a Girl Worth?” a tragic subplot to the investigation into Larry Nassar. She and her husband broached concerns with their church about a Christian organization receiving allegations of sexual abuse. They were dismissed, and as a result, ended up parting with their church community during the most difficult and emotionally traumatic season of their lives.
“My advocacy for sexual assault victims, something I cherished, cost me my church and our closest friends three weeks before I filed my police report. I was left alone and isolated. And far worse, it was impacted because when I came out, my sexual assault was wielded like a weapon against me.”
She mentions this disruption in her community in her speech giving testimony in the case against Larry Nassar. Her former church heard the reference, and immediately began looking into their conduct and treatment of the Denholladers. They issued a public statement and apology.
Rachael has actively called out cover-ups of sexual abuse in churches, and has met great resistance. She says in her book, “With a heavy heart, I saw again that everyone appreciates advocacy when it’s directed at those ‘outside the camp,’ but when it demands we evaluate our own faith communities, political parties, favorite sports team, candidates, or beloved leaders, we scramble for reasons why things are “different” in that space. This is the blind spot that keeps abusers protected and convinces victims that it’s never safe to speak up.”
Rachael experienced sexual abuse, and the systemic cover-up, when she was a child growing up in church. Read Here
Check out the interview with Rachael Denhollander on the Without Fail podcast.
To learn more about the system that protected Larry Nassar and other abusers, watch Athlete A documentary on Netflix.
Photo by McKenna Phillips on Unsplash