From the age of 3 to 8, I was sexually molested. Due to that, as a young pre-teen and teen, I was especially sensitive to the questions from adult Bishops. It was horrible the details asked, no child should be put through this with an untrained adult, alone, behind closed doors. The helplessness and trapped feeling were so similar to the abuse I experienced. I was expected to fully trust (more so it was demanded) an adult male.
Once I did finally open up about my abuse, the Bishop dug hard for specific details. It was massively traumatizing. Afterwards he never spoke to me again. Nothing happened to my abusers. Nothing was reported. I was worthless and invisible. The effect that interview had on me was in some ways more mentally traumatizing than anything I had ever experienced. I expected safety, God’s guidance… Instead I got an untrained man who had no business being alone with a child. In that one interview I finally felt like I was nothing. Worthless. It needs to stop.