On August 23, 2026, fifty Sisters of the Infant Jesus came together in Cape Coast for a deeply reflective workshop on safeguarding.
The session was facilitated by Srs. Helena Mensah and Rose Catherine Ackah, who led the Sisters through a difficult but necessary conversation on our sacred duty to protect the vulnerable.
The Sisters were reminded that safeguarding was not just a policy document on a shelf, rather a Gospel responsibility and an expression of our vocation.
We are entrusted with the care of souls, especially the most vulnerable among us, and we are called to ensure that every child, young person, and vulnerable adult who walks into our churches, schools, and convents feels truly safe, respected, and protected.
To do this well, we must first have the courage to name abuse for what it is. Abuse is any act that harms, exploits, or diminishes another person, particularly when there is an imbalance of power, age, influence, or spiritual authority. It is never, in any circumstance, the fault of the victim. Abuse can take many faces. It can be emotional, when a person is constantly criticized, shamed, or made to feel worthless.
It can be physical, through any form of harmful punishment or violence. It can be sexual, through any unwanted sexual comment, touch, or act imposed without free and genuine consent, especially against a minor.
There is also spiritual abuse, which happens when faith, scripture, or a spiritual position is used to control, manipulate, or silence someone.
And we must not forget neglect and exploitation, which occur when we fail to provide for the basic care, protection, and dignity that every person deserves.
Abuse rarely begins with a dramatic incident. It often begins quietly, through a process called grooming. Grooming is how an abuser slowly builds trust, creates emotional dependence, and gradually breaks down healthy boundaries.
This is why we must learn to recognize the early signs. One of the most common red flags is special attention, where a leader singles out one person as being more special, more mature, or more gifted than others. This is often accompanied by gifts and favors that are disproportionate, secretive, and personal, such as money, phones, or clothing.
Another major red flag is the insistence on private time, such as offering extra training behind closed doors, late-night calls, or one-on-one sessions that isolate the person from the rest of the group. Abusers also test boundaries through overly physical touch, sexual jokes, or by sharing adult problems with a child, and they often enforce secrecy by saying, This is our secret. Don’t tell anyone, they won’t understand.” These actions are not acts of kindness. They are tactics, deliberate ways and means used to lure someone into an abusive dynamic.
Their effect is powerful. They build a deep sense of trust, create a feeling of pride and of being uniquely loved, and they make the victim feel indebted and therefore unable to say no or to report when they feel uncomfortable.
To help us reflect more deeply, our facilitators shared a case study. It is about a fourteen-year-old girl who is a member of the church choir. Her choirmaster, an adult leader she respects, begins to give her special attention.
He tells her she has an exceptional voice and starts offering her extra private training sessions after the normal choir practice, alone in the music room. He buys her small gifts and tells her she is his favorite.
This story led us into an important conversation as Sisters.
Discussion Questions
- What red flags do you notice in this situation?
- What tactics might the leader be using?
- What should a responsible safeguarding officer do in this situation?
- How can the Church prevent such situations in the future?
In our reflections, we noted that the red flags in this case were clear, even though they were disguised as care. There was the special attention, the private gifts, and the extra training that isolated a minor from her peers. These are classic grooming tactics. They are designed to build trust and affection, to make the young girl feel proud and specially loved, and ultimately to make her feel indebted to her leader so that she will not question his actions.
This is where the role of a responsible safeguarding officer becomes critical. When such a concern is raised, the officer must not ignore it or attempt to handle it privately. The first step is to listen with compassion and to speak to the young person separately in a safe space, to gain clarity without judgment or pressure. The officer must not promise secrecy but must follow the established reporting pathway immediately. A proper and impartial investigation must be allowed to take place, because its outcome will help to reveal the actual problem.
Throughout this process, the victim must be protected and supported, and if wrongdoing is established, the culprit must be made to face the law and the appropriate Church procedures.
Ultimately, as the fifty Infant Jesus Sisters gathered in Cape Coast affirmed, the responsibility belongs to all of us in the Church. Prevention is far more powerful than reaction. We must intentionally include child education and safeguarding awareness in all our youth programs, including choirs and altar server groups, teaching children about their dignity, body boundaries, and their right to speak up. We must also commit to continuous public education, ensuring that all members, parents, priests, and religious understand our code of conduct and safeguarding policy.
The Church must enforce clear boundaries in every ministry, such as never allowing an adult to be alone with a child behind a closed door, discouraging private gifts to minors, and ensuring two adults are always present. When we do this, we live out our true mission of creating a Church that is truly a safe home for all.
By: Sr. Cecilia Affum, SIJ
(Catholic Sister Communicators Network, Ghana -CASCON-GH)
