The Tablet
April 14, 2021
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Sexual Assault Awareness Month, observed each April, is a campaign that aims to increase awareness about the causes and risk factors for sexual assault, empower individuals to take steps to prevent it in their communities, and especially to inform minors of ways to be aware of sexual abuse and how they can protect themselves.
Unfortunately, sex abuse has always been a societal issue. As we have seen in the last 20 years, the Church has been made aware of the sexual abuse by those in its own ranks. We must look forward, however, in finding ways to prevent sexual abuse, especially in institutions. As we know, the Boy Scouts of America had over 96,000 cases of sexual abuse and this entity declared bankruptcy.