Voices of Hope
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Voices of HopePress Release December 4, 2006, Minneapolis, MN:Voices of Hope: Educating about nuns who sexually abuse within the Catholic communityThe Twin Cities Voice of the Faithful affiliate, together with two other Catholic Twin Cities advocacy groups (Solidarity and Call to Accountability), hosted a powerful educational forum on the issue of sexual abuse by nuns November 11, 2006. The three hour event was moderated by Tim Power, retired priest and Co-Moderator of Twin Cities VOTF.Three victims of abuse by nuns and former nuns spoke of their experiences. The survivors' personal witness to the devastation caused by the sexual abuse by nuns in their individual and family lives moved audience members to tears and outrage. Tragic stories of victims of nuns, from a compilation of over 600, were shared in the voice of one survivor whose commitment to advocacy spans decades. Repeated, documented, and failed attempts since 2001 to speak to and engage in dialogue with leaders of female religious were described. The Provincial head of the SSND order from Mankato, Minnesota gave her perspective on sexual abuse as a leader in her order and regional leader in the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). Dr Noel Larson, Ph.D., renowned for her work with female perpetrators of sexual abuse, was the keynote speaker for the event. Dr. Larson brilliantly summarized current data regarding the psycho-social development of female abusers, contrasting and comparing what we know about male and female sexual offenders. She detailed the serious and lasting damage of sexual abuse to children and the impairment to brain function which results from abuse. Twin Cities VOTF will host future educational events on this topic to help victims find healing and justice and in order for religious orders to prevent further sexual abuse by nuns. For more information, please contact: twincities-votf.org (612-384-9501) or solidarityrebuildtrust.com (651-387-0106). |