by Emma Webb, Telegraph
We should not censor survivors’ experiences in order to pander to those who find it uncomfortable
When the cult leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was convicted for child sex offences, no one had any difficulty acknowledging the religious dimension of his crimes. No one tried to shut down discussion of this fact, by claiming that to do so was to attack on Christians or Mormons in general.
Why is it then, after I merely mentioned a grooming gang survivor who felt religion played a role in her abuse, has there been a concerted effort by public figures to use Ofcom – and even the law – to silence this important conversation?
The subject most recently arose from a discussion of survivor Fiona Goddard’s testimony. She told Rupert Lowe’s rape gang inquiry that a group of Pakistani men had celebrated Eid by raping young white girls. Of course, people found this particularly shocking precisely because it is a religious holiday.
Yet, victim testimonies suggest that some of the perpetrators did not exactly see their religious beliefs as anathema to the abuse they inflicted.