Breaking the Silence-A harrowing tale?

Question

Will you be reading this brilliantly written book by Garda Martin Ridge?It's a disturbing tale of a priest and teacher who preyed on young children by the man who helped to nail them.He worked tirelessly on this and I think his voice needs to be heard as what he reveals is shocking.

Answer 1

DJC 1175 has made a very valid point - it's not just priests, but any person in authority who could be abusing that authority and trust.

It's not just men who do it, either. For five years I had to put up with a nun groping me, and it was very hard to get it across to my mother what was going on, and she kept saying that that nun was very fond of me .... it's only recently I discovered how this awful woman the nun corroded my relationship with my mother, and how guilty I felt at being so angry at my mother, so it was suppressed guilt and anger for so many years ....

But you get past it. I now have a much better relationship with my mother, because I was finally able to spell out what happened. When you're 13, 14, 15, and there is a culture of silence around this, it's very hard to talk.

Answer 2

With all due respect I have mixed feelings about such books. So much has been raised about Priests who have violated children, I know in the USA at lot has been done to prevent this happening again. It's also a fact that less than 3% of Priests have done these things..not to say 3% is nothing..not by any means. It should be 0%. But what about the Ministers, or Boy Scout leaders or Medical Doctors..where are the articles or books about them?

Now , again in the US if there is even an accusation of a Priest doing anything to harm a child, he is removed THAT SAME DAY. No explanations, no moving to another parish. He is placed in a monistery until further investigation can be done.

Answer 3

I certainly will, will be interesting to see who is charged with anything!

Answer 4

Id never heard of it although the name sounds familiar.I might watch out for it now.Sounds worth a look at maybe.

Answer 5

Sounds all too familiar with a case in a town where I worked....

The son of one of the ladies who worked for me had attended classes run by the priest when he had been younger. Apparently all the kids had known something was not right but in those days had not known how to raise the issue.....

By telling the story if it stops it happening again just once it has got to be a message worth passing on.....

Answer 6

i would find it so hard to read

i read a book about child abuse that was made into a film .... it had kevin bacon in .... based on real events

i couldn't watch the film after that the book was too awful....

i have sons and can't begin to imagine how i would feel if anyone did something as awful as this to them....

Answer 7

I'll have to look out for that book, sounds like a good read.

Answer 8

Can't say I will read this book...I find it hard to read such details...maybe because it's all to familiar to me but I'm sure it will be very interesting... one answer one here said less that 3% of priests abuse...I think less than 3% have been caught and that goes for all abusers not just priests..