Documentation was found showing the family of one plaintiff was immediately advised to notify authorities. (Covenant Life is no longer a part of the Sovereign Grace network.). [47][48] Kauflin employs many other songwriters and pastors from other churches to aid in the songwriting process for Sovereign Grace Music. WebSovereign Grace Churches (SGM; previously Sovereign Grace Ministries and People of Destiny International, PDI) is a group of Reformed, neocharismatic, Evangelical, Ravi Zacharias Hid Hundreds of Pictures of Women, Abuse During Massages, and a Rape Allegation, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. not knowing where to turn for independent investigations, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal, Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church. "[30][31], Early in 2012, Sovereign Grace Ministries announced their intention to relocate their headquarters from Gaithersburg, Maryland to Louisville, Kentucky, citing Louisville's lower cost of living as well as the growing connection with the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in town. Mahaney did and did not respond, and recounts how victims mothers joined forces to seek justice. But we also see this as an opportunity for SGC to become a positive example for the rest of the evangelical community. We remain persuaded that an investigation of the sort weve been challenged to authorizeboth in good faith and otherwiseis inappropriate, impractical, unjust, and finally would be unsatisfactory to all interested parties, the 2,300-word statement concluded. "[27] In many cases alleged perpetrators or those who covered up, are still in leadership. Covenant Life and another church in Virginia where the cases of abuse from the dismissed lawsuit allegedly took place are no longer in the SGC network. WebSovereign Grace, an association of 80 Reformed evangelical churches, is based in Louisville, Ky. Advertisement Maryland Judge Sharon V. Burrell dismissed the lawsuit Maryland's Court of Special Appeals has dismissed a case which alleged that leaders of Sovereign Grace Ministries had attempted to cover up a sex abuse scandal at the Bethesda-Covenant Life Church. We would do well in all our churches to conduct open and frank investigations on any matter (especially sexual abuse) that (a) brings into question the integrity of the ministry and (b) contains substantial charges and witnesses that strongly suggest were not dealing with frivolous accusations. On May 14, a second amendment was filed to the suit: [The suit] adds three new plaintiffs, making a total of 11. But their influence is widespreadas Stanley points out, Wayne Grudem, an evangelical theologian at Phoenix Seminary, once described Sovereign Grace Ministries as an example of the way churches ought to work., In response to the Washingtonian investigation, executive director of Sovereign Grace Churches Mark Prater pointed TIME to a lengthy statement he made in 2014 denying that Sovereign Grace leaders conspired to cover up sexual abuse. Some people I talked to say, yes, this is repression and it leads to abuse and acting out sexually. At the same time, if the many charges prove to be true to a larger extent than they currently acknowledge, it would be sad and troublingbut not without hope if it leads to truth-telling and repentance. He was in the hospital because his back was so bad he couldn't walk. Since its publication, I have also been hearing from people who want to share with me stories of abuse from other ministries. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. R. Albert Mohler Jr., a leading evangelical and Christian conservative, said for the first time that he regrets his embrace of C.J. These remarks prompted defenses from SGC Louisville and the SGC network earlier this year, who said they unreservedly commend his character and support him in his role as a pastor and were not aware of any outstanding, credible accusations against him.. RZIM issued a. following the report, but has yet to announce any changes in leadership. to launch an independent investigation into the claims of sexual abuse. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. I cant speak to all of evangelicalism, but I can say there are troubling messages sent to sex-abuse survivors in church cultures that prize abstinence until heterosexual marriage. WebIn late 2012, a lawsuit in Montgomery County, Maryland was brought against Sovereign Grace Ministries for a conspiracy to cover-up child sex abuse. C.J. What challenges did you face getting the reporting? The first church adoption was in Cleveland Ohio. 25. In this case, it is not a tough call at all. With each perhaps, were left with another question or three. Until youve experienced your life ripped open by false accusations, please consider that what happened to us can happen to anyone. Sovereign Grace Churches (SGM; previously Sovereign Grace Ministries and People of Destiny International, PDI) is a group of Reformed,[2] neocharismatic,[3] Evangelical, restorationist,[4] Christian churches primarily located in North America. When this issue resurfaced a year ago, I was made painfully aware of my serious mistakes. Layman was not on trial and was not given an opportunity to clarify his remarks in court. During the first week in April, Sovereign Grace said the Louisville congregation heard from the SBC workgroup tasked with evaluating concerns over affiliated churches abuse responses, and the elders responded quickly. [46] Sovereign Grace Music is directed by worship leader Bob Kauflin, former member of Christian band Glad, and is known for lyrics that are founded in biblical doctrine. Perhaps the number of incidents when pastors decided not to report abuse is small. In the Palmer case, brought by Renee Palmer Gamby, Ennis testified that. "[71] Regarding the accuracy of the plaintiffs' claims, SGM released a statement saying that "SGM is not in a position to comment on the specific allegations at this time, but upon review it appears the complaint contains a number of misleading allegations, as well as considerable mischaracterizations of intent."[72]. This year, as evangelicals ramp up their response to abuse, top leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention have joined the scrutiny over Mahaney and his current congregation, SGC Louisville, which is also affiliated with the SBC. As a result, the case was dismissed. He believed that "the isolation of Covenant Life, and of a small cluster of churches of which it was a part, may have fed leadership mistakes, including the decision of pastors himself among them to handle a child sexual abuse case internally instead of going to police." No One Knows. At one point, she was asked to leave a church because of the types of issues she was pursuing: The reason I lost my church was not specifically because I spoke up. SGC refused. Evangelical ministries are now facing their own abuse crises. Virginia. Denhollander also responded to several reasons SGC has cited for not conducting an independent investigation, among them that 1) such an investigation implies at the outset that the SGC is guilty and 2) such an investigation would violate church autonomy. ), In March 2018, CT published an op-ed by editor in chief Mark Galli, saying the level of suspicion around SGC should be cleared or confirmed through an outside review: We call for this on behalf of potential victims who may have yet to be heard. 1 Song. [8] It has also been described as a cult, due to its unorthodox teachings, systemic control of members, and allegations of covering-up child sex abuse. For six years nowand more intensely in the last few weekscharges and counter-charges (see links below), accusations and defenses have been conducted in public forums and in the courts, without a satisfactory conclusion. Every Sunday, hundreds of families participate in our church services and entrust their children to the care of our staff and volunteers. Pride? The law as it stands, does both. Judge Burrell found that any conspiracy to cover-up should have been brought within the time frame of the alleged abuse. A lawsuit complicates who is willing to talk to you, and I am sympathetic to that. [51] The plaintiffs claimed that church leaders, including Mahaney, did not report accusations of misconduct to the police. She went on: When you support an organization that has been embroiled in a horrific 30-year cover-up of sexual assault, you know what that communicates to the world and what it communicates to other enablers and abusers within your own church. The investigations findings, which were published Feb. 9, revealed that the initial allegations, shocking as they were, pale in comparison to Zacharias actual proficiency as a sexual predator. [39], Sovereign Grace Churches was known as "People of Destiny International" until 1998. A story in Washingtonian Magazine, by Tiffany Stanley, dated February 14, 2016, highlights three families who were plaintiffs in the lawsuit and their involvement with Sovereign Grace Ministries. The Christianity Today article publicly mischaracterizes Sovereign Grace and C. J. based on accusations of which Rachael had no involvement and which are not true and have never been true. There is an institutional effort to protect against child abuse, the Child Safety Protection Network, but it does not do investigations. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. Lawyer, former gymnast and #MeToo activist Rachael Denhollander has called the Sovereign Grace scandal one of the worst, if not the worst, instances of evangelical Denhollander was referring to the independent investigation Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) commissioned in September of last year. Mahaney, the former head of Sovereign Grace Ministries. Private devotion, community service, and entertainment arent what the local congregation is for. Survivors and non-survivors alike need legal protection. That suit wouldnt involve all the original plaintiffs because some are too old to file suits. Regarding the alleged pedophile ring at the church's school Ennis testified that. But in these types of cases, which deal with minors and abuse, some court files are sealed, which is another obstacle. An independent investigator reported that Morales was never a paid employee of Covenant Life Church. Young Cancer Patient Serenades Pope Francis With 'Ave Maria', The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election. May 14, 2013: A Second Amended Complaint is filed, adding three more plaintiffs alleging abuse. As reported in Time Magazine (February 2016), Susan Burke, the lawyer for the victims, plans to file another lawsuit in Virginia, involving the two individuals from that jurisdiction. Some church leaders expressed that they wanted the story to go away, so the community could move on. North Coast Church formerly called Crossroads Christian Community was founded in 1980. Web12914 Shelbyville Rd Louisville, KY 40243 Sovereign Grace Why Pastors Are Stepping Down", "C.J. Mahaney. Modesty is important. Maryland's highest civil court, the Court of Appeals, denied certiorari on September 24, 2014, permanently ending the case. Books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye promote courtship. While two of the links in Denhollanders post are broken, you can read the churches statements. Sovereign Grace Church Pearland, TX Website. Does this kind of circumscribed sexual environment give way to more sexual abuse? Above all, I think many of the families want Sovereign Grace to acknowledge publicly that mistakes were made. To share this article with your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. We are simply unable to perform what some people are demanding., The SGC leaders also wrote that Sovereign Grace has a detailed, well-defined polity with clear avenues to pursue biblical justice, saying that an outside investigation would set aside the biblical principles underlying all these polity provisions and structures and submit all our churches and their leaderships to the processes and judgment of a single, functionally unaccountable organization or individual, who would be empowered to pass judgment on every SGC church without recourse., Back in 2013, faced with the lawsuit, SGM took a First Amendment defense, saying courts shouldnt second guess pastoral guidance.. On Feb. 13, Sovereign Grace Churches leadership team pushed back against Denhollander's insistence that a third-party review of Sovereign Grace is necessary, stressing that her words and those of others have "profoundly damaged the reputations and Gospel ministries of innocent pastors and churches." created insular communities led by a [37] During that same month C.J. No matter how great the passion for an obviously righteous cause, no fallen human being possesses absolute moral authority, and it benefits neither the victims of sexual abuse nor the name of Christ when believers publicly condemn one another without the facts. "[65] Subsequently, Covenant Life Church former pastor Grant Layman [Mahaney's brother-in-law] said, while testifying about allegations against Nathaniel Morales, that he [Layman] had not reported the abuse to the police. Rather, the firm specialized in various forms of business litigation and business law, as did the attorney hired to investigate, Mr. Liebeler. WebIn 2014, a civil lawsuit against Covenant Life Church and Sovereign Grace Ministries alleging a cover-up of child sexual abuse was dismissed in Maryland. She has always had a passion for the written word and has been writing professionally for the past five years. WebWhile in seminary, Bruce and his wife Hien attended a Sovereign Grace church in downtown Orlando and sensed that the LORD was calling them to be a part of Sovereign Grace Churches. Frederick K.C. [52] [53] [54] Tomczak was investigated and no charges were filed against him. Can Bubble Tea Bring Gen Z into the Chinese Church? When Jessica isn't writing, she enjoys West Coast Swing dancing, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. The court also found that the "Covenant Life School" sued by the plaintiffs did not exist during the time frame of the alleged abuse.[59][60]. June 26, 2014: The Maryland Court of Special Appeals dismissed the appeal of the civil lawsuit, saying the appeal was filed prematurely before there was a final judgment by the lower court. The allegations against CLC co-founder Larry Tomczak bring to mind his bizarrely titled 1982 book God , Did Pharaoh Have Free Will? Inside the rise and fall of Sovereign Grace Ministries. Third, said Denhollander, Failure to get expert help, or commissioning a poor investigation (as RZIM did in 2017) crushes and silences victims, and leaves abusers in power, while giving a false sense of security. In 2017. settled a lawsuit with a woman named Lori Anne Thompson, who said that Zacharias had used his spiritual authority to groom her for a sexual relationship. Predictably, the judge questioned her very legitimacy as a plaintiff. Speaking up after the hard work has been done is easy, said Denhollander, who is an attorney known for being the first of more than 400 women to publicly accuse USA gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. The truth of sin that leads to repentance is one of the most glorious moments in our life in Christ. Since the lawsuit was dismissed on procedural grounds, and not on the merits of the case, there was never a legal investigation of the charges. [65], In a different case in 2014, Nathaniel Morales, a youth mentor at Covenant Life Church, who "led youth bible studies, directed worship teams, and even attended sleepovers,"[66] was convicted of abusing four boys between 1983 and 1991. "[2] Larry Tomczak withdrew from the Charismatic Catholic scene shortly before the creation of Covenant Life Church. (Of course, other religions are not immune from sexual abuse scandals either.). What Happens Now? They were tired of rehashing it. WebThe Sovereign Grace denomination used to consist of approximately 120 churches, but because of a major child sex abuse scandal and attempted cover-up by then It was because we were advocating for other victims of sexual assault within the evangelical community, crimes which had been perpetrated by people in the church and whose abuse had been enabled, very clearly, by prominent leaders in the evangelical community. In reality, victims often dont realize the long-term damage they have suffered from sexual abuse until they are much older. The two churches formed an informal church-planting partnership. And very few leaders are willing to take that step even today., In her statement, Rachael Denhollander listed four lessons from the Ravi Zacharias scandal that ought to be abundantly clear. First, it ought to be clear that, and ministry leaders are not equipped to conduct investigations into allegations of sexual abuse within their ministries. (Allegation Number 57 of the lawsuit reads, As a result of the Church's conduct and misrepresentations, Robin Roe was not cared for by loving and responsible adults, but instead was incarcerated in a juvenile half-way house with criminal juveniles.) Some of the parents, like Pam Palmer and Sarah and Richard, have become activists around these issues. Maryland State Senate Committee Hearings (March 2016), Hocken includes SGM in his list of restorationists; see Stanley M Burgess, Eduard M van der Maas (eds), Wagner includes SGM in his list of apostolic networks; see Stanley M Burgess, Eduard M van der Maas (eds), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "KEEPING THEIR EYES on the CROSS; Gospel truth draws at Covenant Life", The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, "C.J. For many years, PDI did not adopt existing churches, but later altered its policy. In summary, Mahaney and his staff covered up the crimes committed by Truesdale and Griney because they were friends and well-known church members. Five plaintiffs are now using their real names, and the rest are pseudonyms. Four other congregations with female pastors were also determined to be not in friendly cooperation with the SBC, as well as one removed over its abuse response. The ultimate reality that I live with is that if my abuser had been Nathaniel Morales [a church member at Covenant Life Church convicted of child sexual abuse] instead of Larry Nassar, if my enabler had been [an SGM pastor] instead of [MSU gymnastics coach] Kathie Klages, if the organization I was speaking out against was Sovereign Grace under the leadership of [Mahaney] instead of MSU under the leadership of Lou Anna Simon, I would not only not have evangelical support, I would be actively vilified and lied about by every single evangelical leader out there. None notified the police. They did the same with the crimes committed by Suzanne against her sister, Shannon. Ennis testified only about the Maryland plaintiffs. After eighteen months, an independent investigator concluded her accusations likely never happened. WebThe April 12-14 gathering held at the KFC Yum! About 80 churches from the United States and around the world remained in the organization. Evangelical churches are plagued with serious problems related to how we respond to and counsel victims of sexual assault. Antonio Santarsiero / EyeEm / Getty Images. That is not a message that evangelical leaders want to hear, because it would cost to speak out about the community. But it doesnt. WebSovereign Grace Church Midland, TX Website. Given the substantial nature of the accusations, given the prominence of SGC and Covenant Life Church, given the aborted court case on procedural grounds, given the crucial questions left hanging in the air, a new independent investigation is in order for all those churches that have been involved in these events over the years. Worshipers fill the Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Md. I can understand that pastoral confidentiality is important, and so are religious freedom considerations. Second, churches neednt seek an independent investigation over every charge brought against them; and to be sure, there are cases where its a tough call as to whether to seek an independent investigation. An internet lynch mob can go on forever, but the law should protect innocent people from legal charges they cant defend, like those from the distant past. She is among the evangelical voices calling for an independent investigationrecommending GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment)and criticized SGCs recent announcement. Second, if there are credible claims of sexual misconduct within a ministry, it is usually the tip of the iceberg.. Despite continued calls for an independent, third-party investigation into Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC) and its response to abuse allegations, the network has officially taken the option off the table, calling it inappropriate, impractical, unjust and impossible.. It was a growing fellowship of 200 people but lacked the apostolic oversight for greater growth. [40] British restorationist leader Terry Virgo states that Larry Tomczak and C. J. Mahaney, leaders at the time, had become "increasingly uncomfortable" with the "People of Destiny International" name, and it was shortened to "PDI Ministries". In its explanation against an outside investigation, as in earlier statements, the SGC writes multiple times that authorities and previous inquiries have never found credible evidence to support the suspicions against them. She didn't remember the alleged abuses before her thirties, and then believed she was recovering lost memories. WebMultiple people have accused Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC) of covering up sexual abuse, and other reports indicate that the churchs culture discourages people from Fifth, we acknowledge that a primary challenge churches face is not knowing where to turn for independent investigations. Most importantly, as far as were able to discern, we believe this course, the theological capitulation it would represent, and the precedent it would set, would ultimately dishonor Christ and harm the cause of the gospel. These survivors are women and men in their twenties, thirties, and forties, whose marriages have been affected, who have been in psychiatric inpatient treatment, who live in terror of their own kids going to a sleepover. And precisely for that reason, SGC has an opportunity to set an example for all evangelical churches that are facingor, sad to say, will one day have to facesimilar controversy. The February issue of Washingtonian Magazine featured an expos of long-buried sexual abuse of children in a prominent evangelical church network, Sovereign Grace Ministries. She also imagined that 18 people witnessed the abuse, and she listed them by name. Moreover, there is not a single instance of a Sovereign Grace pastor or staff member ever being charged withmuch less convicted ofsexual abuse or covering up abuse in our 35+ year history.. I immediately urged that an independent investigation be conducted and agreed that CJ needed to step down from public ministry until that took place, he stated. And for the sake of SGC and for the integrity of evangelical churches everywhere. January 2013: A First Amended Complaint is filed, adding five more plaintiffs alleging abuse and adding CLC and other defendants. In the case brought by Robin Roe (pseudonym), Ennis testified that. Mahaney & Sovereign Church of Louisville Pulled Out of the Southern Baptist Convention When Asked About Sex Abuse Scandal but Continue Therefore, all of the claims by the Maryland plaintiffs were dismissed in May 2013 because the statute of limitations had expired, 3 years after each turned 18; the claims by two Virginia plaintiffs were still within the statute of limitations. Child sex abuse in the Catholic Church is now widely knownSpotlight, a film about the Boston Globe journalists who documented the massive child molestation scandal and cover-up in the Catholic Church, is up for Best Picture at this years Oscarsbut similar abuses in evangelical communities have not received the same public scrutiny. In 1982, shortly after planting a church in Cleveland, Mahaney, Tomczak and Detweiler formed People of Destiny International as an umbrella organization for their various ministries. The day after the magazine hit newsstands, I got a card from Covenant Life Church, signed by some of the elders, saying the pastors prayed for me that morning. "I believe so," he replied. Denhollander has championed GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), led by Boz Tchividjian, a Liberty University law professor and grandson of Billy Graham. One of them, Kings Cross Church, since sending its letter. As of January 2018, two years later, no new lawsuit has been filed. The allegations included closets and rooms that did not match those in the school building. The church network pushed back against renewed scrutiny around SGC and former president C. J. Mahaneys response to abuse claims. On March 8, 2016, two individuals testified before the Maryland State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee regarding the Sovereign Grace Ministries lawsuit. . What does a young girl make of her purity if her father molests her? WebTo put it simply: Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC; formerly Sovereign Grace Ministries) and its individual churches and leaders, present and former, who have been accused of All the perpetrators from my story were maleseveral were teenage boysand they were members of a ministry that advocated strict sexual mores. 'This resulted in the victims family being corrected when they should have been gently cared for as sufferers,' he said, according to the Washingtonian Magazine article. The Steve Witt's father had been influential in Larry Tomczaks salvation and transfer from Cleveland to DC area. "[25] Other notable charismatic figures, such as Lou Engle, founder of The Call prayer concerts, and Ch Ahn, pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, CA, also ceased to be formally associated with PDI during this period. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Witnesses (I was one) were prepared to testify under oath to that fact. Statutes of limitationswhich put time limits on when you can file charges or suecan be an issue for victims. Mahaney are still revered, still headlining conferences, and still running churches, with powerful evangelical allies on their side. Every institution that desires to pursue truth and accountability must sift through these questions, and numerous Christian experts are available to help properly exegete Biblical standards of justice and accountability, she wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. A 2012 class-action suit was filed against The sad reality is that sexual abuse is widespread everywhere, not just in religious communities. RZIM issued a public apology following the report, but has yet to announce any changes in leadership. WebC.J. Web(SGC, formerly known as SGM, formerly known as PDI, formerly known as GOB,) Sovereign Grace Churches has been plagued with the continual bleeding of members C. J. Mahaney, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, speaks at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, in 2013. Later in 2012, the movement's former flagship, Covenant Life Church, departed from SGM, a decision supported by an overwhelming 93%[34] of voting members. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. As SGC put it in a statement to CT: Clearly, any specific allegations of child sexual abuse should be reported to criminal and child protection authorities, regardless of the passage of time. This article has been updated the story with clarifications since it original publication. Denhollander also responded to several reasons SGC has cited for not conducting an independent investigation, among them that 1) such an investigation implies at the outset that the SGC is guilty and 2) such an investigation would violate church autonomy. Her reporting was subsidized in part by a Fund for Investigative Journalism grant. During the hearing, Judge Burrell referred to an affidavit filed by Brent Detwiler supporting the claims of the plaintiffs as "vague and irrelevant". This move towards Reformed (or Calvinist) doctrine is illustrated by Sovereign Grace's partnerships with Reformed theologians--such as John MacArthur, Mark Dever, and John Piper--in events like the Together for the Gospel Conferences. [58], All charges brought by the Maryland plaintiffs were dismissed by Maryland Circuit Judge Sharon Burrell, permanently barring plaintiffs from ever bringing those or related charges in Maryland civil court again at any time in the future. By Tiffany Stanley. [67][68] "Between 1990 and 2007 at least five members of the churchs staff were told of Moraless abuse. One of the purposes for this period included reconciliation with former SGM ministers. Nathaniel Morales, who was convicted in 2014 of molesting multiple teenage boys, was a youth group volunteer and not employed by Covenant Life Church in Maryland, Mahaneys former congregation. This brought her faith into prominence; so naturally, we at CT wanted to interview her. This is a serious problem that damages the gospel and pushes the most vulnerable away from hope and refuge. 6) People withdrew from us, or fell silent. By March, 2013 approximately 20 churches had left Sovereign Grace Ministries. Still a number of its explanations for past events remain inadequate and leave too many questions unanswered. A few qualifications are in order. There are obvious lessons evangelicals ought to be learning from the horrific abuse perpetrated by. This Is a Revival Season Sean Feucht Announces 7 Days of Prayer on Capitol Hill, The Chosen, Candace Cameron Bure, Dolly Parton Win at This Years Movieguide Awards, Christian High School Girls Basketball Team Forfeits Tourney Spot Due to Trans Opponent, Tickets for SatanCon 2023, The Largest Satanic Gathering in History, Sell Out. Or suecan be an issue for victims 14, 2013 approximately 20 churches had left Sovereign Why! 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Chinese church for many years, PDI did not report accusations of misconduct the... To and counsel victims of sexual misconduct within a ministry, it is usually the tip of the,! The maryland State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee regarding the alleged pedophile ring at the KFC Yum exclusives... Lessons evangelicals ought to be learning from the horrific abuse perpetrated by purity if father!
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