ABSTRACT
“Silence” represents one crucial and unexplored factor within the multiple sexual abuse cases in the ecclesial contexts of Latin America (Chile, México, Peru, etc.). It also constitutes a defense mechanism for both victimizers and victims, although it works differently in each case. Silence allows for impunity for the abusive actions of the former group, concealing accusations through conscious manipulation of subjects and through the protection networks within and outside the Church (social, political, and economic elite). Therefore, through sexual, ethical, and coercive exertion of unbalanced power, silence becomes part of the traumatic effects related to vulnerating victims’ intimacy. Moreover, silence is part of a long-lasting process in which individuals seek testimonial credibility in their immediate environment (family and friends), risking their reputation and exclusion from their communities (workplace, church, etc.). In this sense, the present chapter aims to exemplify the different structures that make possible a culture of secrecy and silence around ecclesial abuses.
