Honesty is the best policy?

A pastor was charged with spanking a 13-year-old girl with a piece of wood because he thought she was lying when she said she was sexually abused by a relative.

Police said the Rev. Daryl Bujak struck the girl hard enough to cause bruises and welts after she was brought to him for counseling because her mother doubted the claims.

Officials said they believe the girl's allegations of sexual abuse, and this week authorities in McHenry County charged a 33-year-old man with abusing her from September 2003 until March 2005.

Plays right into the old addage that children are scared to tell adults because they won't believe them, like this girl's mother; or they will be punished, like beating this girl with a paddle.

And by the way, who the hell is this Reverand? I'd like to educate this ignorant bastard how abuse works, and how victims can react to it. Maybe next time he will do his job and be a person of faith....call the police.

It is not HIS job to decide whether she is or isn't telling the truth. He is bound by law to report abuse.

We are the only mammals that do not definitively separate the predators from the herd.