Consent and control

The plural methodological approach adopted by the Commission indépendante sur les abus sexuels dans l’Église (CIASE) (Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church) is taken up again to demonstrate how the defects of consent as defined by the law are insufficient when it comes to covering domination. The strength of victims’ voices has led to a better understanding of phenomena of domination. Domination does not necessarily require violence, constraint, threat, or surprise to destroy consent. Domination is more subtle, it feeds on dominance, ascendancy, and the power of the abuser. In the case of sexual violence, protection against domination must be enshrined in law. The damage caused by domination, which leads to destructive shame and guilt, is considerable. This damage, which can go as far as the “impossibility of being,” require us to build a restorative state and societal justice.