What Every Investigator Should Know About Church-Related Abuse Cases
This workshop examines how offenders weaponize religious authority and theology to silence victims and evade accountability. Participants learn to recognize spiritual abuse, identify institutional self-protection tactics, and apply effective corroboration and interviewing strategies in faith-based investigations.
Suggested Audience: Law enforcement
Full Description: Religious and spiritual themes are frequently weaponized by offenders to justify abuse, silence victims, and consolidate power within faith communities. For investigators without a background in these specific religious cultures, these dynamics can present significant barriers to justice.
This workshop provides a roadmap for recognizing "spiritual abuse"—a pattern of coercive, controlling behavior relying on a perpetrator's position of spiritual leadership. The session will equip investigators to identify specific theological distortions used to evade accountability and enforce internal secrecy. Participants will learn to identify institutional self-protection tactics, while acquiring practical strategies for corroboration and interviewing to competently navigate spiritual and religious complexities during the investigation.
Learning Objectives:
Identify patterns of spiritual abuse and theological distortions used to manipulate victims and derail investigations.
Recognize institutional resistance to investigation, including common internal gatekeeping mechanisms and self-protection strategies within faith communities.
Develop corroboration strategies to effectively investigate cases involving complex religious power dynamics.
Speaker(s): Crystal Nordby
