Habits of Sin: An Expose of Nuns Who Sexually Abuse Children and Each Other

by Ashley Hill

In recent years, revelations of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic priests have broken out from behind a well-guarded wall of secrecy. Despite the publicity of hundreds of such cases, one area of healing and investigation that of women religious who also are guilty of sexually abusing children and each other. As one pastoral psychotherapist with whom I have had contact put it, this is the next area in which sexual abuse accounting will take place. Indeed, accounts of women in general who sexually abuse children are nearly non-existent, and research on the topic of nuns and sisters who abuse children presently has not been available. As a published journalist of some twenty-five years, a survivor of such abuse and the founder of the countrys only national support network of survivors of sexual abuse by nuns and sisters, I am in the unique position to write Habits of Sin An Expos of Nuns Who Sexually Abuse Children and Each Other. Although my original intention was to investigate the topic of child sexual abuse by nuns, I learned during my investigative work and research of nearly six years that serious incidents of sexual abuse between nuns--often for power or educational favors--is also common, and plays well into the topic of nuns who are sexually abusive in general. Therefore, I expanded my original concept. I have worked with individuals and organizations--all of whom contacted my network--from twenty-three states and Ireland, and it was their contributions and interest that made this book possible. While the books Lead Us Not Into Temptation and A Gospel of Shame concern the issue of priests who molest children, this expos is the first comprehensive volume about nuns, and to some degree, women, and therefore, serves as an important and new research tool. This work is filled with information, historical perspectives and personal accounts to help guide readers who are survivors of such abuse to a place of peace. For those reading this simply out of a desire to learn more about this difficult topic, I believe new insight will be shed.

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2000

About the author

Ashley Hill is a college success coach who brings her knowledge, expertise, and compassion to helping middle and high school students and their families to successfully prepare for college. She is the host of her weekly show, College Prep Radio and the author of Celebrating the Journey: Rediscovering Me, a motivational book for teens.

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A RARE BOOK ON AN EXTREMELY "RARE" SUBJECT TO BE OPENLY DISCUSSED

Author Ashley Hill wrote in the "Author's Note" to this 1995 book, "In recent years, revelations of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic priests have broken out from behind a well-guarded wall of secrecy. Despite the publicity of hundreds of such cases, one area of healing and investigation remains: that of women religious who are also guilty of sexually abusing children, and, each other... this is the next area in which sexual abuse accounting will take place. Indeed, accounts of women in general who sexually abuse children are nearly non-existent, and significant research on the topic of nuns and sisters who abuse children has not been available, up to now.

"As a published journalist of some twenty-five years, a survivor of such abuse and the founder of the country's only national support network of survivors of sexual abuse by nuns and sisters, I evolved into the unique position to write [this book]... Although my original intention was to investigate the topic of child sexual abuse by nuns, I learned during my investigative work... that serious incidents of sexual abuse between nuns... is also common... Therefore, I was required to expand my original concept.

"With the completion of this book, I feel that I have also come to the completion of my efforts in this field... With my toil completed, and chronic illness a steady companion, I have also decided to close down my abuse-by-nuns network. I thank all those who contacted this modest attempt to reach out to do something that had not been done before." (Pg. 13-14)

She notes, "While debate over the controversy of abusive priests increased, and people debated reasons for it, such as Church-ordered celibacy, a wire service article surfaced in an area newspaper, detailing for the first time, as far as I knew, claims of sexual abuse having taken place by nuns at the St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum... a former resident, now an adult man... filed a lawsuit... alleging that during the ages of three and five when he was under the care of the facility, a nun 'forced him into a closet and sexually abused him.'" (Pg.65)

She reiterates, "When I started, I expected to concentrate on the sexual abuse of children. Then, people started contacting me about other forms of abuse: physical, emotional, verbal. The emotional pain still experienced by those reaching out led me to include their accounts as well. But little did I anticipate that nuns and ex-nuns would be contacting me about the kinds of abuse they've endured, including torture of varying degrees." (Pg. 116)

She concludes, "reviewing the material that I've gathered, I am struck by the similarity between the make-up of sexually-abused persons and those, like me, battling fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome... We don't look abused or sick. When we tell people about our personal experiences or conditions, frequently we are not believed, either by friends or relatives, or by doctors or clergy. And often, we just want to find someone else who understands and knows..." (Pg. 142)

There is practically no literature in book form on this subject; Ms. Hill's book may seem "revelatory" to those who have had such experiences as she had.

[Joe Sharkey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Research for a book I am writing. Very skimpy but somewhat useful.