Their investigation, part of a series looking at domestic violence in different religions, reported awful stories of women trapped in abusive marriages and relationships, ignored and discarded by their churches.

The investigation used the most recent academic research available and interviewed hundreds of church leaders and attendees.

Backlash to the investigation has been swift and strong: there were cries the ABC was attacking Australian values, presenting skewed results and mounting a flawed attack on the church.

The Australian asked why the ABC was ‘at war’ with Christianity and said Baird and Gleeson were not reporting that Christianity saves women from abuse.

“The ABC is not at war with Christianity,” the ABC responded. “It is reporting on domestic violence in religious communities, which it notes ... has been under-discussed in Australia, particularity in light of the Royal Commission into Domestic Violence.”

Church leaders have reacted in different ways: head of the Anglican church, Archbishop Philip Freier, issued an unequivocal apology to the victims of domestic violence, and director of the Centre for Public Christianity John Dickson is using his social media platform to discuss the investigation thoughtfully and critically.

But while the discussion continues, we face a moment in which we risk overlooking – again – the stories of women who have come forward.

We risk pushing them to the side to focus instead on ‘whataboutism’, getting bogged down in theological debates.

In all the argument, we must respect the lives of women for whom this is not a debate, but reality, and listen to their stories. We cannot let them be ignored again.