Chai Brady
Bishop Donal McKeown The biggest danger to young people in terms of sexual abuse comes from their classmates, not “dirty old men around the corner”, Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry diocese has warned.
Speaking on the Breaking Bread Catholic podcast, the bishop cited an analysis by the National Police Chiefs Council in England and Wales, released last week.
It found that 106,984 child sexual abuse offences were reported in 2022 across all 42 police forces, Bishop McKeown highlighted that 52% involved reports of children (aged 10-17) offending against other children, with 14 being the most common age.
In the report the police blamed smartphone ownership, which allows young people to send nude photos and access hardcore pornography.
“We actually have so corrupted many of our young people in terms of pornography and so on that the biggest danger… comes from their classmates, not dirty old men around the corner,” Bishop McKeown said.
“That sort of level of cultural demeaning of human relationships, of self-respect, of ever hoping to be able to be master of who you are… to be integrated within yourself, that’s been removed from young people.”
He added: “Jesus wants to say, ‘you know you can do wonderful things with your life, you’re not a prisoner of the past, you’re not a prisoner of what’s happened to you, or where you’ve been, or what you’ve done’… Jesus has a dream for you.”