Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Abuse
Southern Baptist Convention Sex Abuse
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) sexual abuse lawsuits result from allegations of sexual abuse within its 47,000 member churches. On Sunday, May 22, 2022, Guidepost Solutions released a report exposing two decades of sexual misconduct and sex abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
According to the Guidepost report, the SBC had collected the names of 703 abusers. Of the alleged abusers, 409 were likely affiliated with the SBC. The EC aimed to avoid liability for these abuses by refusing to investigate reports of abuse. Nor did the EC take steps to prevent ministers accused of sexual abuse to hold positions of power in SBC churches.
The SBC has admitted to knowing about specific incidences of sex abuse, has admitted to multiple incidences of failing to act on reported crimes, and failed to work to prevent further crimes within the member churches. Despite owning and operating the national press for the organization, the SBC failed to warn members of the harm for over 20 years.
Injuries & Side Effects of Sexual Abuse
Studies have linked sexual assault with several possible physical, mental, and emotional outcomes. The emotional effects of child sexual abuse can last a lifetime, particularly in cases where the offender is a trusted adult, such as would be the case with a minister or church authority. According to the Guidepost report, SBC sex abuse survivors were equally traumatized by how churches responded to their reports of sexual abuse.
Lawsuits Against Southern Baptist Convention for Sex Abuse
Lawsuits against SBC could enable survivors to recover a wide array of damages. The types and amounts of damages any single plaintiff could recover depend on the specific details of their case. Examples of some of the types of damages include the following:
- Costs of past and future medical treatment and surgery
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future lost wages
- Past and future pain and suffering connected to injuries, treatment, and recovery
- Past and future diminished enjoyment of life
- Loss of earning capacity
- Possible punitive damages