This photo taken on Aug. 18, 2020, shows a church in northern Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Around one-third of the sexual violence crimes occurring at churches last year were committed by pastors in charge, a civic group said Friday.
The Christian Center Against Sexual Violence said that there were 45 reports of sexual violence crimes occurring at churches, missionary groups and theological universities last year.
By church duties, pastors in charge accounted for the largest share of the sexual offenders at 29 percent or 13 persons.
Following them were ordinary believers at 27 percent or 12 persons, deputy pastors at 18 percent or eight persons, leaders of missionary groups at 13 percent or six persons and professors at 7 percent or three persons.
By type of sexual violence, sexual assault accounted for 15 cases or 30 percent, followed by rape and sexual harassment at 11 cases each (23 percent) and violence within intimate relationships at five cases (10 percent).
All of the victims who reported sexual violence to the center last year were women. Among 262 violent sexual crimes reported to the center over the past four years, 99 percent or 284 victims were women.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
