The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), also known as the Mormon church, has been facing a serious crisis in the United States due to a multitude of sexual abuse allegations made in California, the latest in a string of scandals impacting the organization. A three-year window in California that allows adult survivors of sexual assault to legally file abuse claims has brought forth nearly 100 allegations of childhood sexual abuse by leaders of the Mormon church.

These allegations align with similar claims against other institutions such as the Catholic church and the Church of Scientology, with a consistent pattern of leaders abusing their power to exploit children. The claims assert that officials knew about or should have known about the abuse but failed to act.

Some of the most recent claims involve five plaintiffs in San Diego County, with three asserting that they were sexually assaulted by top spiritual leaders of their congregations. These victims reported the abuse to other church leaders, who allegedly ignored the incidents and treated them as “a matter of sin” rather than reporting them to the police.

Additionally, another claim involved a woman in Escondido who alleged she was assaulted from 1961 to 1978 by two male relatives, including a bishop and an assigned family teacher. Other plaintiffs have come forward with their own experiences of abuse, ranging from multiple instances over a two-month span to being threatened with excommunication for speaking out.

Michael Carney, a Los Angeles attorney for Slater Slater Schulman, commented on the extent of power and influence the LDS church holds over its members, which may have contributed to the abuse.

In response, the LDS church has insisted that abuse is “inexcusable” and that the church dedicates considerable resources to preventing and addressing it, while stating that the cases were filed by a single contingency law firm with many claims being decades old. The church is reportedly investigating each case individually but has also stated that discrepancies have been found.

As the number of lawsuits increases, attorneys are considering combining the actions into a single multi-district litigation in California. Among the contentions is the use of an LDS “help line” to allegedly suppress reports of abuse and protect abusers rather than aid victims.

Mitchell Garabedian, known for his work on sexual abuse claims against the Catholic church, discusses the challenges faced in proving liability against institutions due to the need to establish that high-level officers knew of the abuse and failed to act. He also points out the difficulties in cases that go back decades and the added protections institutions receive under the first amendment.

Despite these hurdles, both Garabedian and Wendy Murphy, a former sex crimes prosecutor, emphasize that true change in the handling of sexual abuse cases will require a shift in the public’s awareness and willingness to oversee and protect vulnerable individuals.

For those seeking help or resources related to child abuse, the article provides contact information for organizations such as Childhelp, ASCASupport, NSPCC, Napac, Kids Helpline, Blue Knot Foundation, and Child Helplines International.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/08/mormon-church-child-sex-abuse-allegations-california