Sexual abuse is a human problem everywhere in the world today and pedophilia is the worst of all. Pedophilia is an abuse of power over a weaker individual, a child, triggered by a sexual life disorder. Pedophilia is terribly sickening. Pedophilia indicates a deterioration of moral values in families and societies. The sexual abuse of children, minors and vulnerable persons by parents, teachers and religious leaders can cause enormous pain, anger and confusion, whereby a parent becomes an abuser, a healer turns to be a violator and a teacher becomes a perpetrator. It is breach of trust.
It is devastating. John Paul II, in his address to the Cardinals of the United States and Conference Officers, on 23 April 2002 said that the sexual abuse of children is “by every standard wrong and rightly considered a crime by society; it is also an appalling sin in the eyes of God.” Sexual abuse of a child or minor is a crime in the universal law of the church as well as in the civil jurisdiction of India under the ‘Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012.’