Il prete abusatore (I)

La requisizione dell’altro

Abstract

The question of sexual abuse in the Church is here introduced, giving im-portance initially to the terminological problems and the diagnostic colloca-tion relating to the abuser’s personality. The next point is then that of the interpretative problems, highlighting the lack of a direct correlation between pathologies or specific personality disorders and abusive behavior. Starting from the hypothesis according to which the choice of the child or minor as a sexual object does not seem undifferentiated, but specific, we will aim at bringing the experience of abuse within the confines of the so called object-self relations. Such a reference represents at least the key to interpreting one of the most problematic aspects of abuse, that is, the requisition of the victim by the abuser. Such a requisition in fact renders the victim invisible to his or her eyes. The awareness of the damage caused, at this point, may even be completely inexistent.