Days after Hillsong Church reached an “in principle” settlement with a former student Anna Crenshaw, who was sexually assaulted by a staff member on campus, the deal has fallen through, with Crenshaw accusing the church of trying to “intimidate and silence her:”
“We were unable to come to a settlement today because Hillsong changed their plan in a ploy, I would say, to intimidate and silence me. And I will not give up my voice.”
Crenshaw says the settlement imploded after Hillsong insisted that she sign a non-disclosure agreement and release a joint statement agreeing that Hillsong reported the abuse to the police immediately after the incident rather than the five months she says it took them, something she refused to do.
This has never been about money for me but about justice and accountability, which we’ve not received this week.”
When asked why it was so essential for her not to have to sign the NDA, Crenshaw revealed:
There’s so much shame that comes with these types of abuses and victims shouldn’t feel shame. I worked so hard to find my voice in coming forward from my fisrt initial report to Hillsong, and they have from day one tried to silence me.
That is not what I was seeking in the justice process. It wasn’t to come here and get their money and walk away without my voice, but it was to get some accountability and a real sense of justice and hope that they would really change in moving forward. But I think this is just evidence that despite their new leadership, they have the same tactics.”
Source: Protestia.com