Silence of the Altars: Researching Sexual Abuse in Religious Institutions in Catalonia (Spain)

• In Event: Fieldwork Experiences in Criminology and Security Studies: Methods, Ethics, and Emotions

Abstract

Our research assessed clergymen’s perceptions of child sexual abuse in Catalonia (Spain) and identified elements pointing towards anomie and a discourse linked to the neutralization of the perpetrators’ criminal responsibility. The study included 20 interviews from diocesan priests and members of religious congregations: they highlighted the impact of sexual abuse on clergy, the plurality of sensitivities, the existence of discourses tending to idealization, the presence of neutralization techniques and the existence of an institutionalized and persistent anomie within the Catholic Church. To achieve these results, however, lack of institutional cooperation complicated and limited data collection. Our presentation deals with the challenges experienced to reach the sources; how the sensitive nature of the topic had an impact on both interviewees and interviewers; and offers some insights of the research process as well as some recommendations.

Authors

• Marc Balcells, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

• Josep Tamarit, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya