The most egregious breeches of trust imaginable

Trust thought for today - breeches of trust by those we respected and thought trustworthy are the most hurtful of all and damaging to individuals and societies.

(I always wonder if one of the reasons why business is still surprisingly trusted (in Edelman Trust Barometer surveys) despite regular untrustworthy behaviour is that we don't expect them to be that trustworthy, we know they are basically there to make money out of us, and compartmentalise our trust accordingly?)

The most egregious breeches of trust imaginable are here. The findings of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in religious groups are worse than can be imagined. Almost all major religions are found to be at fault and the “use of sacred texts to control and coerce, to silence and to prevent disclosure are common”. Wow.

Prof Alexis Jay, chairwoman of the inquiry, said: "Religious organisations are defined by their moral purpose of teaching right from wrong and protection of the innocent and the vulnerable.

"However, when we heard about shocking failures to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse across almost all major religions, it became clear many are operating in direct conflict with this mission."

She said victims faced barriers such as being blamed, discouraged from reporting and religious organisations "prioritising their own reputations above all else".

It examined evidence from 38 groups, involving sects from Christianity, Orthodox Judaism and Islam including Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and non-conformist Christian denominations.

I really have no words for this.