1846: The Church Bought My Silence - Chelsea Goodrich

Content warning: mentions of abuse, incest, drugging.

In this interview, Chelsea Goodrich details years of sexual abuse by her father, former Mormon bishop John Goodrich, beginning when she was a young child. When confronted in 2015, John admitted the abuse to both Chelsea's mother and their Mormon leaders. However, the church failed to act to protect Chelsea, support victims, or warn others. John faced excommunication but no criminal charges due to statute of limitations. In 2017, another victim came forward alleging John drugged and raped her. Despite evidence, prosecutors eventually only tried John for illegal drugging. Meanwhile, John remarried and had access to grandchildren, prompting safety concerns for Chelsea. Desperate, Chelsea and her mother sought help from church representative Paul Rytting only to be offered settlement money and asked to sign nondisclosure agreements.

Ultimately, Chelsea decides to go public to protect other potential victims from a predator still left free. Her story exposes the patterns of coverups, victim blaming, inaction, and secrecy in the Mormon church around abuse.

Resilient Wellness: http://resilientwellnessllc.com

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