The South African Cleric Taking On The Church Over A Priest’s Sexual Misconduct

Capetown

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Reverend June Major has been fighting for justice for 18 years, ever since she says she was raped by a fellow South African cleric reported BBC

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What June Major wanted is an investigation to the matter by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and she had held several unorthodox protests to invite Church’s attention.

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On 9 August 2020, South Africa's women's day, Rev Major and several women and activists had hung up underwear along the fence of the residence of the Archbishop of Southern Africa, Thabo Makgoba.

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The women protested stating the Anglican Church of South Africa is not taking any action against the sexual misconduct by the priests.

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"My fight isn't against the church, it's against the hierarchy and patriarchy that silences women, who tells us to keep quiet and who finds fault with us and allows the perpetrator to continue doing what they are doing” BBX reported Rev Major as saying. She had held many hunger strikes on the issue before.

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According to Rev Major, she was attacked in 2002, while visiting a seminary.

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Rev Major says the priest entered at the seminary and attacked her.

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"I fought him off but at some point, he had his hands around my throat. I didn't scream because there were children in the house. He left when he was done.”

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"I was shaky and frightened after. I just wanted to die. I called our other friend and told him what had happened," she explains, adding that her attacker came back a second time and only left after she told him that their friend knew about the assault says BBC.

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