AP Exclusive: Abuses Surface at Legion School

AP ^ | 7/9/2012 | Nicole Winfield

[ExxonPatrolUs]

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Dozens of women who attended a high school run by the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order have urged the Vatican to close the program, saying the psychological abuse they endured trying to live like teenage nuns led to multiple cases of anorexia, stress-induced migraines, depression and even suicidal thoughts.

The women sent a letter this weekend to the pope's envoy running the Legion to denounce the manipulation, deception and disrespect they say they suffered at the hands of counselors barely older than themselves at the Rhode Island school. For some, the trauma required years of psychological therapy that cost them tens of thousands of dollars.

A copy of the letter was provided to The Associated Press by the letter's 77 signatories, a dozen of whom agreed to be interviewed about their personal problems for the sake of warning parents against sending their children to the program's schools in the U.S., Mexico and Spain.

[Alex Murphy]

Dozens of women who attended a high school run by the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order have urged the Vatican to close the program, saying the psychological abuse they endured trying to live like teenage nuns led to multiple cases of anorexia, stress-induced migraines, depression and even suicidal thoughts.

The women sent a letter this weekend to the pope's envoy running the Legion to denounce the manipulation, deception and disrespect they say they suffered at the hands of counselors barely older than themselves at the Rhode Island school. For some, the trauma required years of psychological therapy that cost them tens of thousands of dollars.

Ping for later

[icwhatudo]

I found this reply to the article interesting:

“Migraines and stress when your an adolescent? No *hit? You’ve got to be kidding me? I can believe that, what a horrible place... What they really needed was condoms,abortion counseling and maybe some drugs.”

Based on the title, I thought this was going to be about physical or sexual abuse. Instead, it was about girls getting headaches or stressed out-and the suicidal thoughts of 1 who was rejected for service.

I know of kids who have actually have committed suicide because their college rejected them or who got headaches/threw up/eating disorders because the pressure to perform at school was too tough.