An Unwelcome Comparison

Today the prosecution and the defense rested in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.  Jerry Sandusky, one-time assistant coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, is accused of 51 counts of sexually abusing ten boys.  After the judge's instructions, the Centre County jury will begin deliberation tomorrow.  By venerable U.S. law, Mr. Sandusky is innocent until judged guilty by a jury of his peers.

That said....

Am I the only one who sees so many comparisions of this case with the clergy sexual abuse scandal of the Catholic Church?  Let me count the ways:

Jerry Sandusky.  Like the priests who sexually abused, here is a man who seemed (seems?) to be universally loved, known to be very compassionate, one who went out of his way to help so many kids (Second Mile Foundation), even to the point of bringing the kids home with him, giving them attractive gifts, and taking them on exotic trips.  Many of the kids came from difficult family situations, often without a father figure, which role Sandusky was more than willing to fulfill.  When accusations of sexual abuse began to come forward, his friends and family cried, "It can't be him!  Impossible!  He's too kind, too compassionate.  It could never be him!"  He is persuasive in his protestations of innocence even to those closest to him (wife, other coaches on the team, the whole college football community).

Penn State Football, the legendary coach.  Joe Paterno was one of the greatest football coaches in American history.  He was also self-effacing, humorous, above reproach, igniting an eternal loyality among his fans.  An icon in the state of Pennsylvania, he is "the pope of Happy Valley."

When Paterno is given information that names one of his closest aides a child abuser, he makes a half-hearted attempt to communicate what he does not believe about his co-worker and friend.  No follow-up.  No calls to reporters.  No calls to the university president, who is not nearly as important as he.  No nothing.

Penn State Administraton.  "We'll take care of it."  The athletic and university administrators know what to do--nothing.  No investigating.  No challenging questions.  No talking to alleged victims.  And certainly no reporting to law enforcement.  Possible lies, certainly CYA all around.

The defense attorney.  Like some diocesan attorneys, and some attorneys representing priests accused of child abuse, they use that time-worn technique, "pin the blame on the victim."  The victims are lawyered up!  The victims are only in it for the money!  The victims were well coached in what to lie!  And of course, the poor accused is guilty only of loving the boys too much. 

The media.  TV trucks, reporters, and internet scribes descend on Bellefonte to report on a trial of a man accused of child abuse. It is as if this is the first time in the 21st century, the first time in the U.S.A., the first time ever a man has so been accused.  Obviously the esteemed and ever-so-knowledgeable media have never heard that legions of parents, grandparents, priests, ministers, youth ministers, rabbis, imams, teachers, athletic coaches, scout leaders, etc., have been accused, been convicted, and gone to jail for child abuse.  No one in the media (and few of their listeners/readers) has learned one of the most important lessons of the clergy abuse scandal of the Catholic Church--that child abuse is all around us, and that all of us adults (whether legally mandated reporters or not) have a grave and solemn duty to protect all children from abuse of any kind.

I must be the only one to see the comparisons.