Churches Lawsuits are on the Rise

All churches are wide open to legal attacks from a wide array of sources. Church lawsuits are on the rise. Probably, at the top of the legal issues, has to do with the perverts that crawl into a church looking for a victim. These sexual predators are destroying the lives of children, but they are also devastating churches as well. Your church could be the next target. And, your precious child could become one of the targets of such a monster

Protecting Children has become a Necessity

It’s a rather blunt way to put it, but it’s a fact. Protecting children in church has become a necessity. The Catholic church has been flooded with legal issues involving priestly predators. However, the Protestants and Baptists, Lutherans, and Charismatics all have been sued over this issue with this activity as well. Religious institutions have undergone serious litigation over the years because of sexual predator who violated a child.

Verdicts for not protecting children can be huge

Sometimes, the predator turned out to be an elder, a leader, or some other individual in some kind of leadership role. In one church organization case in Texas a few years ago, a jury delivered to the Plaintiffs a judgment of over $30 million dollars. This was in addition to nearly the same amount taken in settlement against one of the defendants, before the trial began. There’s clear evidence that juries are punishing religious institutions who refuse to protect the children in their care and custody. That’s a reality that sends a strong message.

Many ways exist to protect against child predators

There are many methods to protect the church from creatures who want to harm the children in your church. The ways to protect the church and children are not complex, but simple and very practical. Some of these steps involve employing measures that are essential such as doing a background check on any church member who is going to work with children. If you don’t do a background check and later, a child is harmed by that person, when the legal complaint is filed, the attorney is going to investigate as to what procedures a church employed to protect that child. A jury of your peers will absolutely rule punitively against the church if the jury discovers there was little or no protection.

A Child Protection Policy works against Child Predators

Do yourself a favor. Read your church child protection policy. Look to see what kinds of safeguards exist in the church’s child protection policy. This is assuming your church even has one. Far too many do not. If your church has no child protection policy, or if it is weak, then assemble information about what needs to be done in order to protect the church and the children. Read as much as you can on the topic. Talk to legal counsel.

However, do not just sit back and let a crime like that happen. The predators are coming prepared to do their thing. Is your church prepared to do its best?

Child predators are amongst us. These criminals don’t care about you, about religion, about a religious institution, or about your child.

You’re the one who has to care.