The Problem
For decades, thousands of families have entrusted their children’s hearts, minds, and safety to Kanakuk Kamps—one of the largest Christian sports camps. Tragically, in a deeply troubling array of instances, the safety of children took a back seat to other considerations as years of child sexual abuse at Kanakuk Kamps have been covered up by the organization. This was and is a violation of trust, and ultimately a failure of leadership. Read more and take action below!
May 2022 Update:
A host of new allegations against Kanakuk have surfaced due to more survivors and witnesses speaking out. USA Today and their affiliate newspaper based in Kanakuk’s home region published a series of investigative reports.
The USA Today piece, “Survivors, ex-employees say Kanakuk Christian camp ‘ministered’ to its sexual predators,” reveals several new cases of abuse of children at the hands of Kanakuk staff and even other campers spanning decades, apparent dismissals and cover-ups of cases, and gross mishandling of reports that – from the evidence available – seem to prioritize protecting Kanakuk and predators over young victims and grown survivors.
Read a more extensive account of what the new investigations expose here.
March 2022 Update:
Following an investigative piece published in March 2021 by David and Nancy French in The Dispatch, there have been at least two additional deep-dive investigative pieces published detailing the abuse and efforts to curtail discussion of crimes at Kanakuk – CBS 11 and VICE NIGHTLY NEWS – with extensive testimony from sexual abuse survivors and/or former employees of Kanakuk Kamps. Dozens of additional news outlets have carried stories as well.
An open letter from survivors of sexual abuse at Kanakuk was delivered personally to Kanakuk President, Joe White on Feb 11, 2022:
We are survivors of Kanakuk abuse and their allies. We have endured child sexual abuse, extortion, silencing, physical abuse, harassment, aggressive legal tactics, public denial of said abuses, and much more, all at the hands of Kanakuk Ministries and its affiliated entities, and all while under your family’s leadership. We are only a small fraction of the Kanakuk survivors, yet our collective abuse experiences span from the 1950s to 2022. We have been abused and silenced for far too long and are now joining hands to stand up for accountability and justice—and to stop ongoing and future abuse.
Between April – June 2021, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation was contacted by three survivors of sexual abuse allegedly taking place at Kanakuk. One survivor we spoke with said that finally at age 70 he was sharing what happened to him for the first time when he was a young counselor at the camp. Another was a dad of young boys who was abused as a “kamper” while a young teen.
Despite the survivors who have come forward, at least a dozen lawsuits, and the news investigations that have uncovered practices at the camp that enabled the reported abuse to fester, Kanakuk has continued to minimize the reality that they have allowed abuse to flourish. For this reason, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has named Kanakuk Kamps to the 2022 Dirty Dozen List.
Responsibility, accountability, and transparency must be required of institutions like Kanakuk Kamps if we wish to stamp out child sexual abuse.
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse at Kanakuk Kamps and are interested in counseling, legal resources, or to connect with other survivors, FactsAboutKanakuk.com can help you here.
First Baptist Church West Plains breaks ministry partnership with Kankauk over evidence of harm to children
Proof
Find more detailed information on sexual abuse at Kanakuk Kamps, including statements from survivors and extensive news coverage at the website directed by survivors and their family: FactsAboutKanakuk.com. Follow them on Twitter @KanakukFacts
Investigative Reports
Investigative Reports
Survivor Statements
Survivor Statements
Lawsuits
Lawsuits
Watch Kanakuk leadership testifying in depositions for the Pete Newman trial making it clear they knew great harms were being committed against children for several years
Take Action
Sign This Change.org Petition To Hold Kanakuk Accountable
Child Abuse
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