"Ten Miles From The Nearest Sin"
by Peggy Harris, W.A.S.H. Board Chair

 The author, Norma Koester Bork, has captured in this riveting book, the compelling disastrous effects of hiding abuse under a carpet of denial and subterfuge.  Sadly this story, though fiction, has many of the aspects of the many chronicles of abuse told to me over the past years.

I received an announcement of the book and ordered it because I am familiar with the locations where the story takes place.  My husband read the book before I did and it made him angry.  Angry at the indifferent attitudes of church officials when confronted with the rape of a college student.  Angry at the all too familiar ignoring when objections are raised at the cover-up.  Angry at the results of not dealing with abuse when it occurs and letting it go on to harm so many other individuals.

This book should be used as a tool to help us prevent making the same mistakes over and over again.

As the author points out - if background checks are in place and used, if the procedures that have been put in place are followed when an accusation is brought forward, then many of these problems could be avoided today.  But only if church leaders and school administrators use the tools available.  Otherwise they will continue to bear the responsibility of the lives destroyed, the life potential lost and victims re-victimized.

This page last updated on Thursday December 07, 2006 05:28 PM

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members and church leaders better understand the problems abuse brings and prevention methods.

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