I thought a bit more about your post and my response - re internet and social media --
I think your query on the 30 years thing and why not something done way back then.
Things take time - and, I thought about when the mess was breaking for the Catholic church - which - I honestly cannot remember when that was - but, it must have been long before 1989 ish, because it was very well known then inside the church.
So, imagine if you were a victim from decades past and it was say 1990 - there was no internet really - it was just practically beginning for people - and, there was no social media to speak of.
there were?? - I think we called them message boards or bulletin boards - but, there was another name prior with DOS based only - but, I don't remember what that was -
but, think about the practicality - you would be alone in the world with your thoughts on the horrors of the past --
you would have no contact with other victims, no stories to hear, only your own dark shadows to dodge. You would probably not ever have shared the horrors - with you family, with your wife or your husband, not with your best friend.
As the years went on - even though you see investigations begun - you still stay silent - alone in your lonely world - even though you are a functioning person in society - you might be a doctor, a welder, a mechanic, you may be on disability for some reason, you well may be unemployed.
Still - among all of that including family life - you are alone.
Then, gradually - you learn to use a computer, then, gradually, social media springs to life - it's for young people - then, women join in, grandmothers begin catching up with the grandkids, then finally, men and grandfathers join in.
Men finally begin to start pages about victims of the Catholic church --------- by this time - years have passed.
You haven't yet joined in - you read, but, you don't post - because as soon as you do - you out yourself as a victim - something you have hidden for decades.
Only people like the guy I met - begin to get people to open up. There are hundreds like him. A man's man, who stands before people and tells it like it is. Eventually 'some' - not 'all' come out and say - 'me too' ------
believe me - 20 years goes by in a flash with that sort of thing - and, then, when the tide is so big, authorities have to act - and, when it comes so large - it then takes YEARS to investigate
I read earlier today how the nuns abuse in France - took something like 3 years to investigate just cases - just to gather the names.
that story is still unfolding - to me - it will be unfolding for another 20 years at least.
Whatever happens - when you get things like this - nothing ever happens in a hurry.
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