Betrayal of Faith was written in response to my personal experience as an attorney in getting a religious organization to come to terms with its crimes. Their priests were and continue to be, predators. The Church, by its silence and cover-ups, enables their behavior. To ignore and cover-up child abuse in that setting should be limited to fiction, but unfortunately, it has prevailed all over the world for decades.
I wrote the book in the late '90s and attempted to have it published. At the time, I was unable to find a company willing to publish it, nor was I aware of “self-publishing.” Thus, the book sat on the shelf for almost 20 years until the movie Spotlight shed light on the issue. I updated the book, and it was published in November 2016.
While Spotlight focused on exposing the Church through the media, no one had yet presented the issue from the victim’s point of view. I am proud to say that this perspective drives Betrayal of Faith and, in doing so, unveils the Church’s antagonizing, defensive behavior.
The clients were victimized, shamed, and called liars. Every “dodge and weave” you can imagine was implemented to deny retribution and discourage the pursuit of justice. Such behavior is despicable, and when the case was finally closed, I was determined to inform the world what attorneys and clients undergo in pursuing these cases.
My fictional lawyer and his clients embody those who fight for justice everyday.