| Abuse Tracker A Blog by Kathy Shaw |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Today is Sunday, November 17, 2013 | BishopAccountability.org – Documenting the Abuse Crisis |
| ABUSE TRACKER A digest of links to media coverage of clergy abuse. Click on the headline to read the full story.
November 16, 2013
Poll of the pews
UNITED KINGDOM
The Tablet The Catholic Church is beginning a process to find out what Catholics think about matters surrounding the family – issues like divorce, cohabitation, same-sex relationships, contraception and the raising of children. In September, The Tablet reported that a Synod of Bishops would be held to discuss matters regarding the family. There is now going to be another, Extraordinary Synod of Bishops “on pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”. This extraordinary synod will take place in September 2014, to examine issues, then the main synod will be held in 2015 to produce guidelines. The synod’s secretary general, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, has sent to episcopal conferences around the world a 38-item questionnaire on pastoral challenges for families and asked them to share it as widely as possible, in order to solicit responses that could be part of the working document for next year’s assembly. By 20 December – in just a few weeks’ time – each diocese has to feed back to Rome responses to the complex questionnaire. The Bishops of England and Wales have taken the unusual step of posting the questionnaire on the conference’s website to gather responses from individual Catholics, while other countries’ bishops will use other ways to glean information. Below are the questions. If you want to fill in the actual form, visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/FamilySynod2014 The following series of questions allows the particular churches to participate actively in the preparation of the extraordinary synod, whose purpose is to proclaim the Gospel in the context of the pastoral challenges facing the family today. Belgian bishops put synod survey online, seek 'widest possible' comment
BELGIUM
National Catholic Reporter Joshua J. McElwee | Nov. 8, 2013 NCR Today Responding to a Vatican request asking the world's bishops to distribute among Catholics a questionnaire on issues like contraception, same-sex marriage and divorce "as widely as possible," Belgium's bishops on Friday posted the document online and are asking Catholics to submit answers by mid-December. The bishops, one news service is reporting, want "the widest possible consultation" on the survey and are accepting answers by email and postal mail. The bishops have posted the questionnaire on the website of that service, KerkNet, have posted it at another online news service, and will publish it in two of the country's weekly magazines. The answers, KerkNet is reporting, will be analyzed by the bishops with the help of experts in pastoral theology. The European prelates are responding to an Oct. 18 request made by Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, the secretary of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops, in preparation for a global meeting of Catholic bishops next October. With Survey, Vatican Seeks Laity Comment on Family Issues
UNITED STATES
The New York Times By JIM YARDLEY ROME — Often, when the Vatican speaks, it can be a fairly one-sided conversation, issuing encyclicals and other formal documents stating the Roman Catholic Church’s official position on doctrine or other matters. But Pope Francis, who has already shaken up the Vatican, is asking the world’s one billion Catholics for their opinions on a questionnaire covering social issues like same-sex marriage, cohabitation by unwed couples, contraception, and the place of divorced and remarried people in the church. “It’s something that is totally new,” said Msgr. Alberto Pala, a parish priest at the Cathedral of Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy. “And we are very pleased.” The questionnaire is being distributed to bishops worldwide in advance of their synod next fall. Family is the theme of that meeting, with bishops expected to grapple with how the church should address issues like divorce and same-sex marriage. In the past, the Vatican has determined the agenda for synods and sought opinions from bishops’ conferences around the world. Lay groups launch surveys to answer Vatican questionnaire
UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter Brian Roewe | Nov. 16, 2013 While U.S. bishops consider how best and how broad to collect information ahead of a 2014 global bishops' meeting on family issues, several lay Catholic groups took the task into their own hands. In mid-November, a coalition of 15 church reform groups -- primarily members of Catholic Organizations for Renewal -- created an online survey for U.S. Catholics to offer their thoughts on the preparatory document to the 2014 Synod of Bishops, which will focus on the theme of "pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization." Before the coalition announced the survey, Marianne Duddy-Burke told NCR that the idea emerged from a concern that the U.S. episcopacy would not consult with lay Catholics as they compiled their responses. "This is a chance for people to have their voice heard," said Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, one of the sponsoring organizations. Other sponsors include the American Catholic Council, Call to Action, FutureChurch, Voice of the Faithful, the Women's Ordination Conference and Fortunate Families. The survey, hosted online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/SynodOnFamilyUS, will remain open for response through Dec. 15. At that point, the coalition will compile and send the responses to four prelates: Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops; Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, papal nuncio to the U.S.; Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the American representative on Pope Francis' Council of Cardinals; and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., the newly elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. ... Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good on Nov. 1 launched its version (papalsurvey.com) in English and Spanish, sending it to its 30,000 members and posting it online. As of Nov. 12, more than 3,000 people had completed the survey, with more than half of the respondents coming from outside the nonprofit's network. Statement On Curtis Wehmeyer Investigation
MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Date:Friday, November 15, 2013 Source:Jim Accurso A recent article in the StarTribune called into question the archdiocese’s cooperation in the summer of 2012 with St. Paul Police in the Curtis Wehmeyer case. These allegations are both unfortunate and unfounded, as we fully cooperated with the police investigation that ultimately resulted in Wehmeyer’s current prison sentence. On September 21, 2012, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi was quoted on MPR saying that the archdiocese “…did the right thing. As soon as they got the complaint from the boys’ mother, they immediately called the police. Then they took immediate action and removed him from his position at the parish. That was the right thing, and we appreciate that in law enforcement.” On September 24, 2013, Howie Padilla of the St. Paul Police was quoted in the Pioneer Press saying, “ … the archdiocese was helpful in the initial case against Wehmeyer.” These quotes reaffirm that the archdiocese was cooperative in this case. We continue to encourage anyone who suspects abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult within Church ministry—or any setting including the home or school—to first contact law enforcement. Any act of abuse against a minor or vulnerable adult is reprehensible and morally repugnant and we will not tolerate it. Our first priority is to create and maintain safe environments where the Gospel of Jesus Christ can flourish. This means creating an environment for and implementing productive steps to promote a healthy clergy. Dizzy from Archdiocesan Spin and Furious About the Facts
PHILADLEPHIA (PA)
Catholics4Change NOVEMBER 16, 2013 by Susan Matthews Kathy Kane noticed that Father John Paul’s name was removed from the official clergy list at some point this past week. Father Paul resigned as pastor of Our Lady of Calvary Parish in Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 10 for “physical and spiritual” health reasons stemming from two separate allegations of child sex abuse. A name removal from the clergy list is significant and usually doesn’t result from a resignation. For instance, Father John Wackerman of St. Elizabeth’s in Downingtown resigned the same day. His name is still on the list. To be clear, unlike Father Paul, Father Wackerman did not resign under the cloud of sex abuse allegations. However, the archdiocese seemed to defend their decision allow Father Paul to remain in ministry, despite accusations. So why remove his name from the list now? We are waiting for a response from the Archdiocesan Office for Communications. A carefully-worded article on CatholicPhilly.com, the official news source of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, covered the details Father Paul’s resignation. Note that children are referred to as minors. I’m a mother of two children – not two minors. Are you a parent? How many minors are you raising? Please don’t dehumanize. I especially enjoyed this line – “after review the Philadelphia district attorney declined to press charges.” Declined? There’s some spin. The current statue of limitations on child sex abuse makes it impossible for the DA to press charges. The decision may have had absolutely nothing to do with evidence, guilt or innocence. It could have everything to do with our current crappy state laws. There’s no statute of limitations on murder. There shouldn’t be one for child sex abuse either. Former pastor going to prison
PENNSYLVANIA
Herald [Ex-pastor posts bond after arrest] By Joe Wiercinski Herald Staff Writer MERCER — On Friday, after vigorously proclaiming his innocence, [Lee A.] Moore was sentenced to 9 to 25 years in prison by Mercer County Common Pleas Court President Judge Thomas R. Dobson. He was convicted of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sexual assault, corruption of a minor and indecent assault. Dobson ruled after a Megan’s Law hearing that the former pastor of Mercer United Methodist Church on East Butler Street met the legal definition of a predator based on the recommendation and testimony of a clinical social worker contracted by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to review the case and interview Moore. Molly M. Wagner, who has a decade of professional experience working with both victims and offenders, said her conclusions were based on an assessment board investigator’s report into Moore’s past, her own September interview with Moore in the presence of his attorney, a court presentencing investigation, prosecutor’s report, trial transcript and other documents. Judge orders Archdiocese to turn over record of sex abuse complaints
ST. LOUIS (MO)
Fox 2 November 15, 2013, by Chris Regnier ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - “There have been real wrongs of clergy at the highest levels.” Those words today from St. Louis Circuit Judge Robert Dierker as he upheld his own order in a sex abuse suit involving a now defrocked Archdiocese of St. Louis priest. The civil suit surrounds allegations that Father Joseph Ross abused a then five year old girl from 1997 to 2001 at a south city parish. SNAP, or the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, demonstrated outside the Carnahan Courthouse before the hearing. They held pictures of members who say they were abused in other cases. Judge Dierker ruled in May that the Archdiocese must produce 20 years worth of records for any of its employees who had complaints of sexual abuse against them. Attorneys for the Archdiocese argued that was too long. On Friday, Dierker stood by 20 years for clergy but reduced the timeframe for non-clergy employees to five years. SNAP members spoke out against the archdiocese. “I think what it shows is church officials are still very committed to secrecy in these cases and to disclosing virtually nothing unless they`re ordered to,” said ‘SNAP’ director David Clohessy. The Archdiocese released a statement reading in part, “The breadth of this order appears to include allegations against lay employees and clergy that were not found to be credible. The archdiocese will consult with its attorneys in this lawsuit regarding next steps based on the court`s ruling.” Archdiocese Hires Insider to Conduct Review of Priest Files
MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson & Associates Statement of Attorney Mike Finnegan (St. Paul, Minnesota) – Today the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Archbishop Nienstedt announced the hiring of Kinsale Management Consulting to conduct a review of clergy files. The firm’s founder, Kathleen McChesney, Ph.D., is the former head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office for Child and Youth Protection. We are concerned that Archbishop Nienstedt chose another church insider to review the files. McChesney will only be allowed to review information provided by the Archbishop and his attorneys and we suspect she will be required to keep any information she reviews, secret and confidential. This is another example of the Archdiocese and Archbishop’s continuing lack of transparency and accountability in the handling of clergy sexual abuse cases. If Archbishop Nienstedt truly wants to protect children, and restore trust with the Catholic faithful and the community, then he should turn over all of the files to law enforcement and immediately alert the public about all known offenders. Sixty-five Australians - including teachers, priests - snared in worldwide child porn ring
AUSTRALIA
Perth Now Ben McClellan From: The Daily Telegraph November 15, 2013 TWO teachers and two priests from NSW are being prosecuted as part of a global operation targeting users of a Canadian child pornography website that has resulted in more than 340 people being charged - a fifth of them in Australia. As Toronto police exposed the largest child exploitation ring in Canada, Australian Federal Police revealed 65 Australians were being prosecuted based on information from their Canadian counterparts for allegedly using the website. International authorities have rescued 386 children, including five in Western Australia and one in the ACT, from harm and police said they could discover more Australian victims and expect to make more arrests. More than half of the Australians charged are from Queensland (33) while nine people are before NSW courts - four are being prosecuted by the NSW Sex Crimes Squad's child exploitation internet unit for possession of child pornography and using the internet to access child pornography, while the AFP is prosecuting the other five. Retired Catholic priest Edward Sedevic, 72, of Lake Haven on the Central Coast, is one of the four men NSW Police have charged. Sydney priest Father Ed Sedevic, 72, is charged re child-porn
AUSTRALIA
Broken Rites By a Broken Rites researcher (updated 17 November 2013) Father Edward Sedevic, a 72-year-old Sydney Catholic priest now living in retirement at Lake Haven (north of Sydney), is facing charges in court relating to child pornography. Father Sedevic's case was mentioned in court for a second time (in an administrative procedure) on 30 October 2013. The court re-scheduled the matter for a further mention later in 2013. Father Sedevic, who has a family resource centre in Sydney named in his honour, originally appeared in Wyong Local Court (on the NSW central coast) on 4 September 2013. He faced three charges, including possessing child-abuse material and using a service to access child pornography. This September 4 hearing was a preliminary procedure, in which documents were tabled in court for future attention. Detectives from the Child Exploitation Internet Unit (within the NSW Sex Crimes Squad) had gone to see Father Edward Sedevic at Lake Haven (near Wyong) on August 20. On August 27 the detectives charged him with having used a computer to access child pornography. This led to him appearing in court on September 4. Australian report finds 'substantial criminal child abuse' in Church
AUSTRALIA
The Tablet 15 November 2013 by Mark Brolly The Catholic Church's institutions, schools and parishes gave perpetrators the opportunity to exploit vulnerable children in their care for decades and its early response to child abuse in its ranks "continued to conceal rather than expose criminal child abuse in the organisation", a Victorian parliamentary report has found. Betrayal of Trust, the report of the Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Non-Government Organisations by Parliament's Family and Community Development Committee, said there had been "substantial criminal child abuse" in the Church over a long period of time, perpetrated by priests and other members of religious orders in Victoria. "A culture existed in religious organisations that allowed for the occurrence of systemic criminal child abuse," it said. "The initial formal response to criminal child abuse that the Catholic Church in Victoria and in Australia more broadly adopted in the early 1990s was influenced by its previous approach. The response continued to conceal rather than expose criminal child abuse in the organisation. "There has been a substantial body of credible evidence presented to the Inquiry and ultimately concessions made by senior representatives of religious bodies, including the Catholic Church, that they had taken steps with the direct objective of concealing wrongdoing." An unspeakable betrayal of trust: one parent's journey
AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald November 16, 2013 Chrissie Foster It has been quite a journey, but this week we arrived. The tabling in State Parliament on Wednesday of the inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other organisations report, with its findings and recommendations, was an emotionally charged occasion. Morning and afternoon saw both the upper and lower houses of Parliament silent and intent as each of the six Family and Community Development Committee members read their speeches. Every one of them passionate, resolute and united in their damning of the Catholic Church and the atrocities it bestowed on generation after generation of Victorian children. Their collective disgust at evidence presented before them reverberated throughout the Parliament and every person who listened. Tears were shed as the strength and clarity of their words damned an organisation that wore sheep's clothing in public yet, in reality, tolerated, hid and protected criminal clergy who never tired of their lustful crimes and were left unchecked to continue molesting and raping boys and girls. There were no stops put in place, no checks, and no punishment for these criminal clergy, just further access to the bodies of our defenceless children. Head of Victorian sex abuse inquiry wants Catholic Church to increase victim payments
AUSTRALIA
The Age November 16, 2013 Barney Zwartz Religion editor, The Age. The sex abuse inquiry chairwoman expects the Catholic Church in Victoria to consider increasing payments it has already made to victims as a litmus test of its good faith. Breaking her self-imposed silence after the Victorian parliamentary committee tabled its report on Wednesday, Georgie Crozier said the suggestion had come from the church itself during testimony to the inquiry. "The report quotes Francis Sullivan, chief of the Catholic Truth, Justice and Healing Council, who says often, 'judge us by our actions now'," Ms Crozier said. Sydney's Archbishop Cardinal George Pell "made reference to the miserable payments, and they said they are willing to go back and do that','' she said. The 750-page report, which made 15 recommendations - including several aimed at making the Catholic Church legally accountable - strongly criticised the church. In a sharp exchange with committee member Andrea Coote when he gave evidence in May, Cardinal Pell said if there were a good case he would revisit the amount of money paid in compensation, but he could speak only for Sydney. Italian investigator says pope could be target of Calabrian Mafia
VATICAN CITY
Irish Times Paddy Agnew Sat, Nov 16, 2013 At first glance it sounds like a cliche any aspiring Dan Brown might concoct, that Pope Francis’s reforming zeal may have made him a target of the ’Ndrangheta, the Mafia in Calabria in southern Italy. Senior Calabrian Mafia investigator Nicola Gratteri, whose investigative zeal has forced him to live with police protection since 1989, has said the pope’s plans to reform Vatican structures, including the Vatican bank, the IOR, could prove a problem for the ’Ndrangheta, Italy’s most powerful Mafia. He said that while Pope John Paul II called on the “military” mafiosi to “repent” in 1993, Pope Francis has gone further, perhaps hitting the ’Ndrangheta where it hurts. “He has named his G8 [council of cardinals] to overhaul the entire structure of the Vatican, including a review of the Vatican’s economic affairs and in particular, the IOR,” Gratteri says. Mafia targeting the pope? Vatican sees no cause for alarm
VATICAN CITY
Daily Star VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has downplayed a warning that Pope Francis could be targeted by the mafia because of his reforms to Holy See financial bodies. “There is no reason for concern, and there is no need to feed alarmism,” Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said. He added that the Vatican – and, by extension, the pope – was “extremely calm” regarding the alleged threat. The warning was voiced by Nicola Gratteri, a respected state prosecutor in the southern Calabria region, who said the vicious local mafia, the ‘Ndrangheta, is “nervous” the pope is threatening its interests. “Those who up to now have fed off the power and wealth coming directly from the church are nervous, upset,” he said in an interview published by the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano this week. The pope, Gratteri added, “is dismantling the Vatican’s economic centers. If the mafia bosses can trip him up, they won’t hesitate.” Thompson Asks Hynes To Freeze Case ...
NEW YORK
Failed Messiah Thompson Asks Hynes To Freeze Case Against Accused Haredi Pedophile Rabbi Baruch Lebovits Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com Incoming Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson has asked outgoing District Attorney Charles J. Hynes to seek the adjournment of the case against accused haredi pedophile Rabbi Baruch Lebovits until Thompson takes office in January, Hella Winston exclusively reports in the Jewish Week. The written request was reportedly delivered to Hynes earlier today. Copies were also delivered to the trial judge and Lebovits’ attorneys. “…Based upon the very serious allegations in the case, I request that no disposition be offered to the Defendant, no guilty plea be allowed at the upcoming court conference on November 19, 2013, and that no procedural or substantive steps be taken in the case until I take office. I make this request because it is important that I have a full opportunity to review the Lebovits matter and participate in the decision to take the case to trial or dispose of it by way of a guilty plea. It is also my understanding that the Defendant has been released on bail and therefore would not suffer any substantive prejudice by this brief delay. "Additionally, I would like to make arrangements to receive a copy of the entire case file and have an opportunity to speak with the assistants who are handling this matter as soon as possible…" Thompson wrote. Thompson: Adjourn Lebovits Case
NEW YORK
The Jewish Week 11/15/13 Hella Winston Jewish Week Correspondent Brooklyn District Attorney-elect Ken Thompson is asking outgoing District Attorney Charles Hynes to seek an adjournment in a high-profile sex abuse case until Thompson takes office in January, The Jewish Week has learned from a source close to Thompson’s transition team. The request, which was delivered in writing (and copied to the judge and defense attorney on the case) to Hynes on Friday, asks that, “based upon the very serious allegations in the case,” no disposition be offered at the “upcoming court conference on November 19th” and that “no procedural steps be taken in the case until” Thompson takes office. In the letter, Thompson notes that he is making this request because it is “important that I have a full opportunity to review the Lebovits matter and participate in the decision to take the case to trial or dispose of it by way of a guilty plea.” He also asks Hynes to make “arrangements [for Thompson] to receive a copy of the entire case file and have an opportunity to speak with the assistants who are handling this matter as soon as possible.” This request from Thompson comes on the same day a group of advocates, abuse survivors, anti-abuse activists, rabbis and concerned citizens are to submit a letter to the judge in the case paralleling Thompson’s concerns, but focusing on a request not to allow a plea bargain until certain “irregularities” in the prosecution’s handling of the case are addressed. A mess grows in Brooklyn
NEW YORK
New York Daily News With the defeat of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes after six terms in office, there appeared to be little reason to comment further on his misrule of the city’s largest prosecution office. No such luck. His last years were shadowed by a long failure to effectively prosecute sex abuse in the insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, a powerful voting bloc; by accusations (taken seriously by two federal judges) that top lieutenant Michael Vecchione had railroaded a man named Jabbar Collins for a rabbi’s murder; and by evidence that now-retired Detective Louis Scarcella may have helped the DA’s office win convictions with hyped evidence. Denying all wrongdoing, Hynes and Vecchione maintained a united, tough front. Now, though, transformed from roaring lions into quacking lame ducks, they are bequeathing a shambles to successor Kenneth Thompson. Two veteran prosecutors were demoted and booted from a controversial case after, it is said, one nearly came to blows with Vecchione; a third assistant district attorney was fired after reportedly questioning whether the office was meeting its legal obligations in the Collins case, and a judge ordered Hynes’ office to turn over all documents related to the Scarcella allegations. You almost need a scorecard to keep all of this straight. Incoming Brooklyn DA Kenneth Thompson inserts himself into Hasidic sex abuse case
NEW YORK
New York Daily News BY OREN YANIV / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013 In his first communication with the lame duck Brooklyn District Attorney, incoming DA Kenneth Thompson asked that a high profile sex abuse case against a Jewish cantor be pushed back until he takes office. In a letter delivered Friday to DA Charles Hynes, Thompson requested to put the prosecution of Baruch Lebovits on hold until the new administration takes the helm at the start of 2014. "I request that no disposition be offered to the Defendant, no guilty plea be allowed at the upcoming court conference (Tuesday) and that no procedural or substantive steps be taken in the case until I take office," Thompson wrote. "We're going to comply with that request," DA spokesman Jerry Schmetterer said. Thompson Wants Delay in Rabbi Case
NEW YORK
Wall Street Journal By SEAN GARDINER Nov. 15, 2013 Brooklyn District Attorney-elect Kenneth Thompson is seeking a delay until after he takes office in the prosecution of an Orthodox rabbi charged with sexual abuse, according to a letter reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. In the letter dated Friday, Mr. Thompson asked outgoing District Attorney Charles J. Hynes to direct his prosecutors to put off a court conference scheduled for Tuesday until January in the case of Rabbi Baruch Lebovits. Jerry Schemetterer, a spokesman for Mr. Hynes, acknowledged receipt of the letter, saying the office planned to "comply with Mr. Thompson's wishes." He added, however, that there had been "no discussions" with Rabbi Lebovits's attorneys about a possible plea deal—especially one involving no prison time—and they hadn't expected the case to be resolved before Mr. Thompson took office in January. "I don't know why this is an issue," Mr. Schmetterer said. Mr. Thompson didn't return calls seeking comment. The unbearable lightness of seeing
AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald November 16, 2013 Barney Zwartz Religion editor, The Age. Georgie Crozier thought she was mentally ready to investigate child sexual abuse in the churches. As a nurse and midwife, she had coped with cases of rape and incest, and heard heart-wrenching stories. But nothing could prepare her for the sheer horror or scale of what happened to thousands of young Victorians in orphanages, schools and church settings over decades. As chairwoman of the Victorian inquiry into how the churches handled child sexual abuse, she hid her emotions behind a mask of formality through the long months of testimony from victims, advocates, experts and religious leaders. Just occasionally her irritation at some witnesses' prevarication slipped out. ''It's very difficult seeing people you know sitting across the table from you, men showing photos of themselves as boys,'' she says. ''But I don't think it was nearly as difficult as it was for them coming before us, and that kept me focused: this is so important for so many people - we just have to get this right.'' The inquiry's 750-page report, tabled on Wednesday, made 15 recommendations across five areas: criminal law, making the church legally accountable, setting up an independent but church-funded tribunal to investigate claims and determine compensation, and better prevention and monitoring. It particularly savaged the Catholic Church, but - as Andrea Coote noted in her speech to Parliament - this was because it was the focus of the vast majority of testimony. Also, as the report makes clear, the members were often unimpressed by the testimony of Catholic leaders. Former Northeast Portland Baptist Sunday School Teacher Accused in Child Molestation Suit
OREGON
Willamette Week A new lawsuit says a Sunday School teacher molested one of his students in the 1980s and 1990s, and the church's pastor did nothing to stop it despite knowing the teacher was attracted to children. The suit says the teacher, James H. Michener, used his Sunday school class at the now-shuttered Evangel Baptist Church in Northeast Portland to befriend children. It alleges he then molested one boy who may have been as young as six at the time of the first incident. The suit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court by attorney Erin Olson on behalf of the unnamed boy, who is now 30 years old. The suit also alleges Michener abused the boy at least twice. Once, it alleges, Michener touched the boy under “the pretext of assisting [him] in urinating.” Michener also allegedly persuaded the boy to spend the night at his house, then entering his bed at night to touch him. The suit says the incidents occurred as early as 1989 and as late as 1996. The suit seeks $3.25 million in damages. Evangel Baptist closed in 2008, but it is named as a defendant in the suit along with the Northwest Conservative Baptist Association, which the lawsuit said then owned, managed or administered more than 200 congregations across the Northwest, including 19 in Portland and more than 30 in the metro area. Documents suggest archdiocese interfered in Wehmeyer case
MINNESOTA
MinnPost By Brian Lambert What comes after “rock bottom” …? The Strib’s Tony Kennedy has the latest head-shaker/slapper out of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: “Law enforcement documents would later show that by the time police got to Blessed Sacrament, [Rev. Curtis] Wehmeyer had removed his camper from church property, [vicar general Rev. Kevin] McDonough had taken Wehmeyer’s work computer to the chancery and church officials had interviewed the child who first came forward to allege abuse. The church’s handling of Wehmeyer’s case infuriated police, interfered with evidence and disrupted the early phase of the criminal investigation, according to law enforcement documents, a parish employee and St. Paul police Cmdr. Mary Nash. … When police searched Wehmeyer’s church residence after his arrest, they found an IBM ThinkPad computer in a closet. Police discovered that it belonged to Wehmeyer and was loaded with child porn.” French bishops acknowledge and decry 'spiritual abuse' in some ecclesial communities
FRANCE
Catholic Culture The president of the French bishops’ conference has issued a public response to calls for recognition of the “human damage” caused by ecclesial movements that were guilty of abusive practices. The statement by Bishop Georges Pontier on behalf of the French hierarchy addressed charges of “spiritual abuse” as well as sexual abuse. Critics of the several new ecclesiastical communities had complained of the “destruction of personalities” by cult-like practices. The complaints had centered on groups such as the Legion of Christ, the Beatitudes community, and the Community of St. John—all of which had seen formal charges of misconduct lodged against their founders. Jailed: school caretaker who sexually assaulted young girls at holiday camps
UNITED KINGDOM
London Evening Standard ROBIN DE PEYER Published: 15 November 2013 A school caretaker who preyed on two girls aged six and seven at holiday camps was today jailed for 12 years. John Lyon, 40, admitted sexual assault by penetration on a seven-year-old victim, as well as another sexual assault of a six-year-old. Lyon, of Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire, targeted the seven-year-old during a summer camp in north London in July last year. Police were called after the traumatised victim told her mother how she was taken to a bathroom at the camp and assaulted. Detectives investigating the case then identified a second victim, aged just six, who was assaulted in similar circumstances during the Easter holidays months earlier. Lyon was arrested just days after the second assault. He was charged in January and pleaded guilty to the offences in September, after what police described as a "complicated and protracted enquiry". Enfield primary school caretaker ...
UNITED KINGDOM
This is Local London Enfield primary school caretaker John Lyon, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing two girls aged six and seven By Charlie Peat A school caretaker has been jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing two girls aged six and seven. John Lyon, of Latymer Way, Edmonton, was a caretaker at St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School in Churchbury Lane when both incidents occurred. The 40-year-old sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl in a school bathroom when she was attending a summer camp in Churchbury Lane on July 30, 2012. During the Easter holidays of 2012, a six-year-old girl told the police that she too had been sexually assaulted in similar circumstances by Lyon. Mr Lyon was arrested on August 1, 2012 and charged on January 17, 2013. Bankruptcy Will Not Affect Parishes
NEW MEXICO
Cibola Beacon by Donald Jaramillo CIBOLA COUNTY – Earlier this week, it was officially announced that the Diocese of Gallup was filing for Chapter 11 reorganization on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Albuquerque. “As noted in our previous September letter [to church members], the filing will occur in order to mercifully and equitably deal with the sexual abuse claims faced by the Diocese, while also allowing the Diocese to continue to address the needs of our parishioners and charitable outreach missions,” said Suzanne Hammons, media liaison for the Diocese via email. Information found on the Diocese’s website clearly stated that the bankruptcy filing does not include the parishes. And, the only school affected by the filing is Gallup Catholic School, which is part of the Diocese. The filing will not affect Grants’ St. Teresa Catholic School and San Fidel’s St. Joseph Mission School, both in Cibola County. The Diocese of Gallup covers more than 55,000 square miles in northwestern New Mexico, including Cibola County. Pope Pius XII established the Gallup Diocese in 1939 because he felt there was a need for Native Americans in the area to be adequately served for their spiritual needs. Under the direction of its fourth bishop, the Most Rev. James S. Wall, the Diocese ministers to a large and culturally diverse group of Catholics numbering around 58,000 including Native Americans from the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Apache, Laguna, and Acoma Tribes and pueblos. It’s been reported that the Gallup Diocese has been ranked as the poorest Diocese in the United States. MO - Victims to hold vigil outside courtroom
ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests Archbishop asks judge to reverse himself Church was ordered to turn over predators’ records But Catholic officials are delaying & trying to limit info At same time, Carlson wants a teenage victim’s emails WHAT With signs and childhood photos outside a “crucial” court hearing, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will hold a 30 minute vigil and blast St. Louis Catholic officials for --seeking a teenage victim’s private emails, while --trying to reverse a judge’s decision ordering them to turn over records about every accused archdiocesan sex offender WHEN Friday, Nov. 15 at 8:30 a.m. WHERE On the sidewalk outside Carnahan Court House at 1114 Market Street (corner of Tucker) in downtown St. Louis WHO Two-five members and supporters of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, (SNAPNetwork.org) the nation's largest support network for men and women abused in religious and institutional settings WHY In May, St. Louis Catholic Archbishop Robert Carlson was ordered to turn over information about every archdiocesan employee (nun, bishop, brother, teacher and priest) who has been accused of sex crimes going back two decades. Six months later, Carlson has not complied. Now, Carlson’s lawyers are trying to “gut” the judge’s order while also trying to get a teenaged child sex abuse victim’s private emails. The case involves Fr. Joseph D. Ross, who allegedly molested a girl at an inner city parish in 2000. In 1988, Ross pled guilty to sexually assaulting an 11 year old boy during confession. Despite that conviction, Catholic officials quietly put Ross back on the job but told no one about his crimes. In May, Judge Robert Dierker ordered Carlson to turn over records about 20 years of allegations of sexual abuse and misdeeds by current and former archdiocesan staff. Carlson’s lawyers want Dierker to reconsider his order. They say they should be forced to provide records for a shorter period of time, only about alleged child sex crimes, only about accused priests (not bishops, seminarians, brothers, nuns, teachers and other employees), and only records that have already been made public through criminal or civil court filings. They also want to NOT produce correspondence between Ross and the now-retired Cardinal Justin Rigali, who headed the St. Louis archdiocese for years, and material sent by local Catholic officials to the Vatican in their effort to defrock Ross. “Carlson wants to gut the judge’s order and keep his secrets secret,” said SNAP’s David Clohessy. “If he gets his way, Carlson will get a lot of information from a teenaged victim and, in turn, provide her with virtually nothing new.” “It’s the worst of both worlds. Carlson wants tons of private emails to and from a deeply wounded teenager, the victim in this case,” said SNAP’s Barbara Dorris. “But he argues that he should have to turn over almost nothing of substance to her.” IL - Chicago Jesuit is accused of molesting in Michigan
MICHIGAN
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests For immediate release, Friday November 15, 2013 Statement by Barbara Dorris, Outreach Director, 314-862-7688 SNAPdorris@gmail.com The Chicago Jesuit hierarchy is handling the new case of credible child sex abuse allegations against a priest who molested a Michigan boy. [Upper Michigan Source] The Marquette Michigan diocese says it has received and deemed credible an accusation that Father Bernard (“Fr. Ben”) Van der molested a boy in 1989 while substituting for a vacationing Marquette priest. The Chicago Jesuits are at 2050 N. Clark St., Chicago IL 60614 (800) 922-5327 [Marquette diocese] Michigan Catholic officials are urging victims to call church figures. That's wrong. Anyone who sees, suspects or suffers child sex crimes should call secular officials not church officials Father Van der Schueren is dead. He can't be prosecuted. But some of his peers or supervisors might be, especially if they destroyed evidence, intimidated witnesses, hid crimes or refused to report suspicions of child sexual abuse to law enforcement. So it's critical that anyone with knowledge or suspicions about wrongdoing here to call police and prosecutors We applaud this brave victim for stepping forward. We hope his courage inspires others who are suffering in shame, silence and self-blame to do likewise. Staying silent hurts worse than stepping forward. Top priest faces jail after sex trial
UNITED KINGDOM
Lancashire Evening Post One of Lancashire’ s most senior Catholic priests is facing jail after being convicted of sexually assaulting a man in the presbytery of English Martyrs church in Preston. Canon Stephen Shield, 53, the Dean at Lancaster Cathedral, committed the offences more than two decades ago against a man who hoped to join the priesthood. In a harrowing video interview played to the court the man spoke of how his faith has been rocked by the sexual abuse he suffered. He said he felt like his soul had been “ripped out” and the room had been “filled with evil”. He told the court he felt sickened that Shield celebrated mass within hours of abusing him and that years later he still felt a connection to his abuser through the Eucharist, wherever he was in the world. He said he always feared he would not be believed if he complained about Shield, as the priest had trained at the prestigious seminary in Rome. Protesters picket hearing for priest accused of child sex crimes
ST. LOUIS (MO)
Fox 2 [with video] ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests is picketing a hearing in downtown St. Louis for a priest accused of child sex crimes going back two decades. SNAP’s Director, David Clohessy, says the protest is focused on a pending civil suit against Father Joseph Ross. In May, a judge ruled that the Archdiocese must turn over records about 20 years of alleged child sex abuse allegations involving Archdioese employees. Apparently, attorneys for the Archdiocese want the Judge to reconsider that order and limit what they have to turn over. Lancaster man convicted of sex offences
UNITED KINGDOM
Virtual Lancaster Stephen Shield, 53, of Balmoral Road, Lancaster, has been found guilty of three counts of indecent assault following a trial at Preston Crown Court. The three historic allegations related to one male victim aged between 17-24 years, the committed between 1985 and 1992. Sentence was adjourned until December 13th. Detective Chief Inspector Jo Edwards, of Preston Police, said: “I am pleased that Mr Shields has been convicted of these offences. “The victim in this case had lived with the knowledge of Mr Shield’s offending for a long period of time; this has had a significant impact upon him. It was a difficult decision for the victim to come forward and I am please that he felt confident enough in the Constabulary to help bring this man to justice. Dean of Lancaster Cathedral convicted of sex offences
UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News The Dean of Lancaster Cathedral has been convicted of three historical sexual offences at Preston Crown Court. Canon Stephen Shield, 54, had denied indecently assaulting a man between 1985 and 1992, the first occasion when the victim was 18, in Keswick and Preston. He was found guilty by jury. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he abused his position of trust "for his own sexual gratification". Shield, of St Peter's Cathedral, is due to be sentenced on 13 December. Joanne Cunliffe from the CPS said: "The defendant was in a position of trust within the Roman Catholic Church and in the community he served. L'Église de France reconnaît des dérives sectaires en son sein
FRANCE
Le Figaro Par Jean-Marie Guénois Mis à jour le 14/11/2013 [Summary: The present of the bishops conference has met with 40 victims of sexual and spiritual abuse that involved 14 communities. The Catholic Church, like any institution, does not like to publicly recognize internal scandal. However, Bishop Georges Pontier formally responded to a group of victims who were abused in movements and religious congregations.] Le président de l'épiscopat Mgr Pontier, répond à une quarantaine de victimes d'abus sexuels et spirituels et met en cause quatorze «communautés nouvelles». L'Église catholique, comme toute institution, n'aime pas reconnaître publiquement des scandales internes. C'est pourtant ce que vient de faire le président de la Conférence des évêques de France, Mgr Georges Pontier, en répondant officiellement à un groupe d'une quarantaine de «victimes de dérives sectaires au sein de différents mouvements d'Église et congrégations religieuses» qui avaient adressé aux évêques réunis en assemblée plénière la semaine dernière à Lourdes un «appel» pour dénoncer des «dégâts» humains dont ils ont été victimes dans le cadre des communautés dites «nouvelles» et dont les effets décrits peuvent aller de la «dépression», au «suicide» ou la «destruction de personnalités». La nouveauté de cette affaire ne réside pas tant dans la dénonciation d'abus sexuels que quelques-uns des plaignants ont subis mais dans celle d'«abus spirituel», un concept encore peu usité. Le fondateur, ou le supérieur, utilise son aura et son pouvoir spirituel sur des personnalités souvent jeunes et fragiles, pour enfermer leur liberté dans une dépendance totale afin d'obtenir d'elles le silence absolu couvrant d'éventuels abus sexuels ou autres abus de pouvoir. Lancaster Cathedral canon Stephen Shield found guilty of sexually abusing young man
UNITED KINGDOM
Lancaster Guardian A Lancaster Cathedral canon has been found guilty of sexually abusing a young man more than two decades ago. Father Stephen Shield’s victim, who had hopes of joining the priesthood, said he felt like his soul had been “ripped out” after the sex attacks by the Catholic priest. Father Shield, who trained in Rome, had denied sexually assaulting the man in the presbytery at English Martyrs Church, Garstang Road, Preston, on two occasions after first meeting him at Castlerigg Manor in Cumbria – where he also abused him. But today, a jury at Preston Crown Court found him guilty of three charges of indecent assault after a trial. The offences were committed between 1985 and 1992 when the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was aged 18 and 24. Shield, 53, of Balmoral Road, Lancaster, became Canon at Lancaster Cathedral before he was arrested and charged with three counts of indecent assault. WHAT’S BUGGING THE ST. PAUL POLICE?
MINNESOTA
Catholic League Bill Donohue comments on the St. Paul Police Department: For reasons that remain unexplained, the St. Paul Police Department has decided to reopen a case involving a priest from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who was accused in 2004 of having child porn on his computer. He was investigated for seven months, and when nothing was found, the case was dropped. Now it is being reopened. The reopening of this case comes on the heels of a public plea by Commander Mary Nash asking anyone who was molested by a priest to come forward. She did not ask if someone had been abused by a rabbi, minister, school teacher, stepfather or police officer—only if it was a priest. Now she is back for a second time, making the same plea. This kind of religious profiling is legally suspect and morally unethical. In a related matter, there is a curious news story in today’s Star Tribune that cites Commander Nash’s anger with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis regarding a priest, Curtis Wehmeyer, who pleaded guilty to sexual offenses. The story is curious because it is not news—it is simply a rehashing of a story dating back to June 2012. It is hard not to conclude that this “story” is a spin job on the part of the newspaper to make the police look good and the archdiocese look bad. No matter, it has nothing to do with the concerns of the Catholic League in 2013. Police Chief Tom Smith will not answer questions regarding this issue, so I am going public. His department reportedly has no funds to continue its “cold case” unit—there are several unresolved murders in St. Paul—yet it has the time and money to reopen a non-homicide case against a priest. Something is wrong, and we intend to find out what it is. Doctor and priest among ‘totally broken’ men charged in massive child porn bust
CANADA
Metro The bedroom resembled that of a teenager: Hockey posters on the wall. A computer. The man it belonged to was in his late 40s. Police had a serious reason for being in the Chatham, Ont., home where Ronald Inghelbrecht lived with his mother: officers in Toronto suspected he was a customer of a website that sold child pornography, and the Ontario Provincial Police were there to look for evidence. “I would describe his room as being adolescent — like he decorated it when he was 12, or 14, and he never changed it,” said OPP Detective David Beckon. Police seized three computers and thousands of images and movies — and just one video was what the officers in Toronto were looking for. It, they say, tied Inghelbrecht to a website they were investigating as part of Project Spade. He was charged with possession of child pornography and accessing child pornography, and the Chatham-Kent police put out a news release on Dec. 5, 2011. Three days later, they followed with another release — and Inghelbrecht’s legal troubles worsened. ... Popular parish priest By all accounts, he was a popular parish priest, a church youth leader and an active Scout organizer. So when Daniel Moreau, 56, was arrested at his living quarters at a local church last March, there was shock and dismay in the town of Sorel-Tracy, about 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal. Moreau was charged with seven counts of child pornography, part of a nationwide sweep resulting from Project Spade. “We understand the distress that such an event can cause within the entire community,” diocese officials said in a statement, and announced Moreau had been relieved of his duties. Most details of the case are under a publication ban, but defence lawyer Gilles B. Thibault told the Star his client was accused of possessing “an important quantity” of child pornography. “It is not an isolated act, not a single photo or video — it is more than that,” he said. Thibault confirmed his client was active in the Scouts in various places around Quebec for a “number of years.” But, he said, “to date they have not found any victim in the Scout movement.” Moreau’s case is before the courts. Sexual Abuse Allegation against Deceased Religious Order Priest Deemed Credible
MICHIGAN
Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette (11/15/2013) Officials of the Catholic Diocese of Marquette have deemed credible a recent allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against a deceased religious order priest from Belgium. Fr. Bernard "Ben" Van der Schueren, S.J.The allegation was lodged against Father Bernard (“Fr. Ben”) Van der Schueren, S.J., a priest of the Society of Jesus, commonly called the Jesuits. The complaint deals with an incident involving a boy that happened during July of 1989 when Fr. Van der Schueren filled in for a diocesan priest at St. Michael Parish in Marquette. Fr. Van der Schueren died in 2009 at the age of 86. As soon as the allegation was received, diocesan officials immediately began following the Diocese of Marquette’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct in Ministry. In keeping with that policy, the complaint was referred to Jesuit leadership, in this case, the Chicago-Detroit Province. In addition, the Office of the Administrator of the Diocese of Marquette informed the Diocesan Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People of the complaint, and the diocesan attorney reported the allegation to the Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office. After the complaint was lodged, the Jesuits of the Chicago-Detroit Province initiated their safeguarding procedures for sexual abuse of minors in pastoral ministries and contacted the Flemish Jesuits in Belgium. The Flemish provincial superior has committed himself to full cooperation with the investigation. The Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuits have taken charge of dealing with the accusations. They have contacted the victim/survivor of the abuse and have offered counseling and spiritual assistance. Sexual abuse allegations arise against deceased priest
MICHIGAN
Upper Michigan Source by Ty Czarnopis MARQUETTE -- Credible allegations of sexual abuse against a child have come forward against a priest that filled in at the St. Michael Parish in Marquette, according to Catholic Diocese officials. The Catholic Diocese of Marquette says that allegations have arisen against Father Bernard Van de Schueren, S.J., a priest of the Society of Jesus. The allegations are in regards to an incident involving a boy that reportedly took place in July of 1989. "Our first concern is always for the victims/survivors of abuse, and we pray that all of those affected by this situation and others like it will find healing and peace," said Diocesan Director of Ministry Personnel, Kevin Branson. According to officials with the church, Father Van der Schueren was filling in for a diocesan priest at St. Michael Parish in Marquette when the alleged abuse occurred. Fr. Van der Schueren passed away in 2009. Child sex abuse complaint against deceased priest
MICHIGAN
ABC 10 Posted on November 15, 2013 by Mike Hoey A child sexual abuse allegation has surfaced against a deceased Catholic priest who once served in the Diocese of Marquette. Diocesan officials say they believe the allegation against the late Father Bernard Van der Schueren is credible. The complaint deals with an incident involving a boy in July 1989, when Father Van der Schueren was filling in for another priest at St. Michael Parish in Marquette. He died in 2009 at the age of 86. Diocesan officials say that as soon as they received the allegation, they referred it to the Jesuit Chicago-Detroit Province. Father Van der Schueren was a Jesuit priest. The Office of the Administrator informed the Diocesan Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People of the complaint. The diocesan attorney also reported the allegation to the Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office. The Jesuit Chicago-Detroit Province initiated their safeguarding procedures for sexual abuse of minors in pastoral ministries and contacted the Flemish Jesuits in Belgium. Father Van der Schueren was from Belgium. Diocesan officials say the Flemish provincial superior has agreed to cooperate fully with the investigation. The Jesuit Chicago-Detroit Province has contacted the victim, offering him counseling and spiritual assistance. IHM Church Responds to Former Priest's Sexual Misconduct
MINNESOTA
Patch Posted by Becky Glander (Editor) , November 15, 2013 A Catholic priest known for sexual misconduct who was assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in Minnetonka for 18 years was sued last week. The Rev. Jerome C. Kern was accused in a lawsuit filed Nov. 7 of “sexual battery” of a boy in Edina between 1972 to 1976. Kern was transferred to our Our Lady of Grace Church in Edina in 1969, after accusations of sexual abuse arose at his church in St. Paul, according to the Star Tribune. The man from Edina is one of at least 10 people abused by Kern that Jeff Anderson & Associates knows about, and the firm is preparing three more suits against him, according to the newspaper. Court-ordered disclosure would offer best hope of full accounting in priest sex-abuse cases
MINNESOTA
MinnPost By Beth Hawkins As part of a civil suit pending in Ramsey County District Court, a judge could order the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to release publicly the list of 33 priests “credibly accused” of child sex abuse as well as a list of 13 offenders maintained by the Diocese of Winona. Absent a grand jury investigation or action by prosecutors, the release of the list offers the best hope of a full accounting of the extent of the sex-abuse cases in Minnesota and any cover up, according to several people who have followed the mushrooming sex-abuse scandal in the local Roman Catholic Church. The court-ordered release of records pertaining to abusive priests has been pivotal in sex-abuse scandals in other dioceses. Absent the intervention of civil authorities or other strenuous outside pressure, the information disclosed by church leaders often has been woefully incomplete and outdated. On Monday, Minnesota Public Radio reported that church officials left a confessed child molester, Father Clarence Vavra, in active ministry until his retirement — with an extra $650 a month as an inducement. Church leaders did not inform police or civil authorities of Vavra’s disclosures. PUBLIC HEARING COMMENCING 9 DECEMBER 2013
AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse The Royal Commission will hold a public hearing in Sydney commencing Monday 9 December 2013. The public hearing will look into the Towards Healing process adopted by the Catholic Church in responding to allegations of child sexual abuse. The public hearing will examine issues including: The principles and procedures of Towards Healing adopted by the Catholic Church and their application in responding to: victims of child sexual abuse; and allegations of child sexual abuse against personnel of the Catholic Church. The experience of people who have engaged in the Towards Healing process. Royal Commission CEO Janette Dines said individuals and organisations, who believe that they have an interest in the Scope and Purpose of the public hearing, are invited to lodge an application for leave to appear. “Applications for leave to appear can be made via the Royal Commission website and should outline why the applicant has a substantial and direct interest in appearing,” Ms Dines said. The form and the submission should be lodged by 22 November 2013 with the Royal Commission via: Email: solicitor@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au; or Mail: GPO Box 5283, Sydney NSW 2001 For more information on lodging your submission call 8282 3824 or email solicitor@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au The public can attend the hearing, or watch it live on the Royal Commission’s website. For more information, visit www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au or phone 1800 099 340. Media enquiries: Dani Redmond 0477 392 754 or media@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au Our View: A most heinous crime that should be dealt with accordingly
CYPRUS
Cyprus Mail FOR A society claiming to protect its children, the lack of official reaction to the paltry 18-month jail sentence handed down to a 57-year-old priest for the indecent assault of his foster daughter is nothing short of hypocritical. We heard nothing from the Church, our politicians, or even the Child Commissioner, who usually has something to say about any articles involving children, even if it’s just all talk. The priest’s congregation from Ergates even showed up in court this week during sentencing to express their support and were outraged at the “unjust” sentence while the priest’s wife even expressed the wish for the victim to “burn”. The sentence was close to the upper end of what was available to the court, because the crime took place between 1993 and 2000 when the maximum sentence for indecent assault was two years. But what about those seven years when welfare services were meant to be monitoring the foster family? Quote for Day: Institution's Politics "Too Unholy ...
UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage William D. Lindsey Quote for Day: Institution's Politics "Too Unholy to Abide Much Longer" (with Commentary on USCCB Meeting) Joan Chittister at National Catholic Reporter: We are at a tipping point. The struggle has been too long; the confusion, too deep; and the politics of every institution, too unholy to abide much longer. I can really relate to this observation, especially as the annual meeting of the Catholic bishops of the U.S. winds down. Not a whit of hope, not a table scrap of new energy for the people of God, from this meeting. More of the same tired politics that have proven so dysfunctional for some years now, as the USCCB allies itself overtly with the religious and political right. Cordileone's predictable attack on gay folks: disgusting. The predictable election of Kurtz and DiNardo: no new wine or fresh wineskins there. Those seeking hope, please move on. The same-old, same-old politics designed to undermine the Obama administration by attacking a healthcare mandate designed to expand access to healthcare for millions of people on the margins: sinful in the extreme. John Gallagher sums up the situation aptly for Queerty, with an eye to the U.S. Catholic bishops' attitude towards those who are gay, in particular: [T]here are plenty of reasons to believe that, no matter what the pope says, things won’t be changing all that much among the U.S. bishops for quite some time. I especially like his observation that the Catholic media are very much a part of the problem and not part of the solution: The bishops have their own echo chamber. Even though the majority of Catholics are more liberal than the hierarachy would have you believe, especially on marriage equality, the Catholic media apparatus is overwhelmingly conservative. (After all, no one is about to bite the hand that feeds you, let alone blesses you.) After years of beating the drum about the intrinsic evils of homosexuality, they aren’t about to switch gears. Add to that the fact that the bishops have cast their political lot with the religious liberty lobby, which thrives within the right-wing bubble, and you have a lot of voices drowning out the pope’s (emphasis in original). Michael Sean Winters proves Gallagher's point in spades with his puerile NCR column yesterday attacking "goofy" groups promoting "various leftie causes" at USCCB. His suggestion that the goofy lefties should simply request meetings with their bishops, who are, most of them, Michael assures us, "very nice men," is beyond silly. Against Gay Marriage, General Bergoglio Sent the Nuns in to Fight
ARGENTINA
Chiesa Instead of challenging the powers head-on, the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires wrote a fiery letter to cloistered nuns. It was his way of "conducting politics." The account of a direct witness of that battle by Sandro Magister ROME, November 15, 2013 – Pope Francis said so loud and clear in his agenda-setting interview with "La Civiltà Cattolica." The public battles over questions like abortion or homosexual marriage are not priorities for him. This does not change the fact that the upcoming synod will be dedicated precisely to the issue of the family. And therefore to questions that are today among the most fiercely combated on the political terrain as well. But there is also uncertainty among the bishops. In Italy, in the United States, in Spain - the countries where in recent years the public efforts of the episcopates over questions of life and the family have been the most combative - there are those who are pushing for greater detachment from political exertion. Following the example - it is claimed - of the pope. ... Well then, what example did Bergoglio give, when as archbishop of Buenos Aires he found himself grappling with the approval of a law that permits persons of the same sex to contract marriage and adopt children? It was 2010 when that law was approved in Argentina. Cardinal Bergoglio took a position against it in a form that he had studied thoroughly. Not with public declarations that would directly challenge the political powers, but with two internal letters to the Church: the first to the nuns of four Carmelite monasteries of Buenos Aires, and the second to a leader of the Argentine Catholic laity. The twofold move by Cardinal Bergoglio naturally had a substantial impact on the political terrain as well. But the explanation that was given to it was that the cardinal intended with the two letters not to “conduct politics” but simply “to recall the teaching of the Church to all those who proclaim themselves to be Catholic, asking them to act accordingly.” This justification of the activity of Cardinal Bergoglio was presented in the Argentine parliament by a Catholic senator very closely connected to him, Liliana Negre, a member of the Peronist party and the first president of the Global Action Network of Legislators and Governors for Life and the Family. Liliana Negre has recounted chapter and verse how the approval of that law came about in Argentina, in a book about Pope Francis published in the United States, with the testimonies of twenty persons who knew him very closely, Jesuits and others. Police drop Rabbi Chaim Halpern investigation
UNITED KINGDOM
The JC By Simon Rocker, November 15, 2013 A police investigation into alleged sex abuse of women by prominent Golders Green rabbi, Chaim Halpern, has been dropped. The Metropolitan Police said today that a file passed to the Crown Prosecution Service "regarding allegations of sexual assault has resulted in no charges being brought against a 54-year-old man". It said that officers from Barnet's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command, who investigated the allegations, "confirm that all allegations have been fully investigated". Rabbi Halpern, who is the head of the Divrei Chaim synagogue, was arrested in February but had denied any wrongdoing. Judge doubts sex offender's remorse
NEW ZEALAND
Otago Daily Times Fri, 15 Nov 2013 A police hotline number set up to investigate former Northland school teacher James Parker was used by a church member in Kaitaia to dob in another church-goer for sexually abusing young boys. The youth leader at Latter Day Saints (LDS) church in Kaitaia complained about Daniel Taylor, 34, who was yesterday jailed by the High Court in Whangarei on nine charges of sexually abusing young boys, including three brothers, over a five-year period. He was sentenced to five years and seven months imprisonment and must serve two years and 10 months before becoming eligible for parole. Joining the grassroots revolution in the Catholic church
MINNESOTA
Twin Cities Daily Planet By Grace Kelly, Minnesota Progressive Project November 13, 2013 The Head of Catholic Church, Pope Francis is leading in a new direction that moves from a preoccupation with sex and back to the principles that Jesus taught – like caring for the poor. However, the head of local Catholic Church, Archbishop John Nienstedt, is the ultimate in a preoccupation with sex. Not only has Archbishop Nienstedt been involved in condemning gays and condemning women, he lobbied against the Child Victims Act that removes the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases going forward. One of Nienstedt’s priests has been convicted of child molestation but went free because the statue of limitations ran out. Over a million church dollars has been spent since since the year 2000 in lobbying for laws that allow priests to get away with sexual crimes while trying to force sexual laws on everyone else. Not only did the Archbishop Nienstedt coverup and defend priests accused of sexual crimes, he rewarded them with extra funds. His actions put others at risk. While many have left the Catholic church, an amazing grassroots group called Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR) is striving to reform the church from within. Even on a cold blustery day, many brave souls gathered to ask Archbishop Nienstedt to resign and to urge people to write to the Papal Nuncio about the choice for the new pope (address at bottom). The CCCR wants Archbishop John Nienstedt to resign from the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese after the way the church handled accusations of sexual misconduct. The most profound statement is coming from Bob Beutel, “We need healing, but healing cannot begin with the knife still in the wound.” Indeed as victims speak out and church priests have not been brought to justice, the case for resignation grows. New allegations have added more concern. Basically, the Archbishop has tried to make priests untouchable by law, while the CCCR holds that “Religion is no defense for criminal actions.” What is even worse, is that no warning, no supervision and no controls were put on the priests in question. In fact, at least one priest was given immediate retirement with extra money and complete lack of supervision. New Jersey sex crimes: a potential change in the statute of limitations
NEW JERSEY
Digital Journal Those with old histories of sexual abuse could be subject to a revised and indefinte statute of limitations, providing legislative proposals are enacted. November 15, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Over the past couple of decades, the Catholic Church has experienced an alarming record of sexual assault scandals within its doors. However, in legal terms, New Jersey's statute of limitations actually protected former offenders. This is because the statute of limitations, which starts the clock on viable criminal suits, often expired before young victims could report criminal actions by church officials. In such cases, had the victims reported the crimes within he specified statutory period, many of the offenders could have have faced time behind bars. Instead, they were given second chances. However, in 1996, New Jersey's laws transformed and eliminated the time limit for some criminal charges. So, can church officials now be held accountable for former acts, which date back to before 1996? Not exactly. Even within the new legal parameters, sex abuse victims have only two years to sue after linking abuse to other issues, including divorce or depression. This is spurring legal change. Lake Haven retired priest in child sex abuse
AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald Nov. 15, 2013 A RETIRED Catholic priest living at Lake Haven was one of 65 people across Australia arrested as part of a global investigation targeting the users of a Canadian-based child exploitation website. More than 300 suspects have been arrested worldwide during the investigation as 386 children were removed from harm, including six in Australia. Police have announced that the three-year investigation by Canadian authorities have referred the details of numerous Australian-based users of the child exploitation website to policing jurisdictions in Australia. Under what is known as Operation Thunderer, the Australian Federal Police and state and territory police have arrested 65 people who have been charged with 399 offences. It includes the retired priest, 72, arrested at Lake Haven on August 20 and charged with possessing child abuse material and using a carriage service to access child pornography. St. Paul police fault archdiocese's handling of priest before arrest in abuse case
MINNESOTA
Star Tribune Article by: TONY KENNEDY , Star Tribune Updated: November 14, 2013 Authorities questioned the visit by the former vicar general and a deacon before arrest in abuse case. It was June 21, 2012, and the Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer was about to be confronted by officials of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in St. Paul had been under church supervision for sexual misconduct, and a mother had recently confronted him with suspicions that he was abusing her son. Now she had gone to officials at the chancery. The doorbell rang, and in came the Rev. Kevin McDonough, the influential former vicar general, and Deacon John Vomastek, a former cop. A parish employee at the scene said they took Wehmeyer into a closed office. A short time later, according to the employee and police accounts, McDonough and Vomastek left the building, and Wehmeyer was left on his own to pack up and move out. He was free for the next 28 hours, when police arrested him. Law enforcement documents would later show that by the time police got to Blessed Sacrament, Wehmeyer had removed his camper from church property, McDonough had taken Wehmeyer’s work computer to the chancery and church officials had interviewed the child who first came forward to allege abuse. The church’s handling of Wehmeyer’s case infuriated police, interfered with evidence and disrupted the early phase of the criminal investigation, according to law enforcement documents, a parish employee and St. Paul police Cmdr. Mary Nash. “With them going and getting to Wehmeyer before us, it did complicate the case,” Nash said. “It gave him an opportunity to hide the scene of the crime [the camper] and to get out of the sight of police for the short term.” Questions about McDonough’s and Vomastek’s actions were answered Thursday by archdiocese spokesman Jim Accurso, who said the timeline in the police documents is inaccurate and the archdiocese worked closely with police. “We did not put the police at a disadvantage because they were notified throughout the entire time,’’ he said. Law firm chosen to review Minnesota priest files
MINNESOTA
Faribault County Register November 15, 2013 Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Thursday that it has named a consulting firm with experience in addressing issues of clergy sex abuse to conduct a review of priest files. Kinsale Management Consulting, founded by former FBI executive Kathleen McChesney, will begin its review next month, starting with files of all clergy in active ministry, the archdiocese said. Kinsale will conduct an initial assessment before determining how long the review will take. McChesney also served as head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Child and Youth Protection, where she developed and oversaw a program to ensure dioceses complied with policies to prevent and report sexual abuse. Critics say McChesney is another church insider. David Clohessy, director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, added that McChesney will be forced to rely on what church leaders choose to divulge. WA children removed from harm and offenders charged as part of international child sex abuse ring
AUSTRALIA
ABC News Five West Australian children have been removed from harm by police, after an international child sexual abuse ring was smashed. It comes as part of a joint crackdown on those using a Toronto-based child exploitation website. For the past four months, police officers around the world have been executing search warrants and making arrests. Globally 386 children have been removed from situations where they were used to create images of child sexual abuse. Police raided homes in Perth and the Esperance-Goldfields district as part of the operation. So far four people aged between 30 and 72 have been charged by WA Police. They are facing a total of 107 offences including indecent dealing of a child under 13, indecent recording of a child under 13 and possession of child exploitation material. Brennan still faces civil suit
PHILALDELPHIA (PA)
Philly Trib Written by Larry Miller Thursday, 14 November 2013 The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office may have been legally unable to pursue further prosecution of a Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse, but that won’t stop a wrongful death civil suit from being leveled against him. On Wednesday, Philadelphia attorneys Marci Hamilton, Daniel Monahan and Jeff Anderson announced they were taking civil action against former Catholic priest Robert Brennan, Monsignor William Lynn and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The civil suit is on behalf of Sean McIlmail, who died of an accidental drug overdose on Oct. 13, 2013 at age 26 and accused Brennan of sexually abusing him when he was a child. McIlmail claimed Brennan abused him for years, beginning at age 11 in 1998. The District Attorney’s Office had planned to prosecute Brennan, but had to drop the charges against Brennan after McIllmail’s death. The complaint alleges that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, and Msgr. William Lynn knew of numerous child sexual abuse allegations against Brennan at least ten years before Brennan sexually abused McIlmail. Brennan was sent for evaluation several times after which the Archdiocese and its representatives allegedly covered-up the accusations about Brennan’s extreme risk to children and placed him back in ministry. According to attorneys, whistleblowers came forward complaining about Brennan’s inappropriate behavior with children going back as far as 1988 but the complaints were ignored. Over time Brennan was reassigned to several parishes including St. Mary’s Parish in Schwenksville, Pa., St. Ignatius Parish in Yardley, and Resurrection Parish in Rhawnhurst, among others. 65 Australians arrested as Canadian police smash 'horrific' child sex abuse ring
AUSTRALIA
ABC News Sixty-five Australians are among more than 300 people arrested after Canadian authorities smashed what they say is one of the worst child sex abuse rings they have seen. Canadian police say their investigation into a multi-million-dollar child sex abuse video website has led to the arrests of nearly 350 people internationally, including teachers, police officers, doctors and priests. A total of 386 victims of the ring were rescued from harm worldwide, including six in Australia - five in Western Australia, and one in the ACT. "It is alleged that officers located hundreds of thousands of images detailing horrific acts against young children, some of the worst that they have ever viewed," Toronto police spokeswoman Joanna Beaven-Desjardins said. Arrests began in August during the Australian-based component of the operation, known as Operation Thunderer, with those charged facing a combined 399 charges of child exploitation offences. The Australian suspects in the operation are aged between 25 and 72 and have been charged with a range of offences including accessing, possessing, producing and distributing online child exploitation material. They include a Catholic priest, a former priest and two teachers, all from New South Wales. But Queensland is the state with the largest number of suspects, with 33 people facing charges. St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese names Kinsale Management Consulting to review priest files
MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press By Emily Gurnon egurnon@pioneerpress.com POSTED: 11/14/2013 The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has hired a Los Angeles-based management consulting firm to review clergy files in the wake of continuing revelations of sexual misconduct by priests. Kinsale Management Consulting, led by Kathleen McChesney, in early December will look at "all clergy in active ministry," said a statement Thursday by archdiocese spokesman Jim Accurso. The firm's website says it has "performed security strategy and crisis management reviews for multinational corporations and nonprofit agencies" and "confidential internal investigations of employee misconduct," among other services. McChesney spent 24 years with the FBI, retiring at the No. 3 position in the agency, the archdiocese said. She also led the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Child and Youth Protection and worked as vice president for global security for the Walt Disney Co. after her career in law enforcement, according to online biographies. At the bishops' office, she "developed and oversaw a national compliance mechanism to ensure that all Catholic dioceses complied with civil laws and internal policies relative to the prevention, reporting and response to the sexual abuse of minors," the archdiocese statement said. Ex-FBI official’s firm to review clergy abuse files
MINNESOTA
Star Trubune The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has hired an outside firm to review its clergy files, it announced Thursday. The firm, Kinsale Management Consulting, based in California, was founded by Kathleen McChesney, the former head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office for Child and Youth Protection. In that role, she developed legal compliance mechanisms for dioceses regarding preventing, reporting and responding to the sexual abuse of minors. McChesney is a former FBI official who oversaw that agency’s international operations in 44 foreign countries and at its field offices in Chicago and Portland. She also worked as a vice president for threat assessment and crisis management for the Walt Disney Co. Kinsale’s website says the firm “has performed security strategy and crisis management reviews for multinational corporations and nonprofit agencies; conducted confidential internal investigations of employee misconduct, theft and fraud; designed security structures, and developed client-specific crisis management plans and training programs.” Lake Haven retired priest in child sex abuse
AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald Nov. 15, 2013 A RETIRED Catholic priest living at Lake Haven was one of 65 people across Australia arrested as part of a global investigation targeting the users of a Canadian-based child exploitation website. More than 300 suspects have been arrested worldwide during the investigation as 386 children were removed from harm, including six in Australia. Police have announced that the three-year investigation by Canadian authorities have referred the details of numerous Australian-based users of the child exploitation website to policing jurisdictions in Australia. Under what is known as Operation Thunderer, the Australian Federal Police and state and territory police have arrested 65 people who have been charged with 399 offences. St. Paul Police: KSTP 'Inaccurate'; But Not Wrong On Archdiocese Investigation
MINNESOTA
KSTP [with video] By: Jay Kolls KSTP first reported Tuesday that sources confirmed two top officials at the Twin Cities Catholic Archdiocese were part of an investigation. Sources tell KSTP it is connected to a child pornography case that has been reopened against a priest. Those same sources say St. Paul Police want to know what Archbishop John Nienstedt and former Vicar General Father Peter Laird knew about the child pornography, when they knew it, and if they knew about it, why they didn't report it to police in a timely manner. A whistleblower has already, in several interviews, named Archbishop Nienstedt and Father Laird as leaders who knew about the possible child pornography and did not immediately turn it over to authorities. St. Paul Police held a news conference to say our KSTP report was "inaccurate" and that the two church leaders are not the "focus of an investigation." But, they stopped short of saying our story was wrong. Matt Entenza is a former prosecutor with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. He tells us using words like "not the focus of an investigation" and stopping short of saying the story was wrong, "probably means your sources are correct and the two men are most likely part of a broader investigation of obstruction of justice at the Archdiocese." Archdiocese hires Los Angeles firm to review priest files
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio by Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio November 14, 2013 ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has hired a Los Angeles-based consulting firm to review the personnel files of all its priests, as part of the church's approach to dealing with allegations of clergy sexual abuse and misconduct. The archdiocese on Thursday said it hired Kinsale Management Consulting to conduct a review of the priest files. The firm was founded by Kathleen McChesney, a former top FBI official and former head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Child and Youth Protection. A statement by the archdiocese said the review process is slated to begin in early December and will start with clergy currently in ministry. The firm did not provide a timeline for when they will finish their work or how much the review will cost the archdiocese. "Their expertise and leadership in addressing the problem of abuse of minors will ensure that Kinsale's review of our clergy files will be objective and thorough," Archbishop John Nienstedt said in a prepared statement. "With the benefit of this level of review, we will proceed confidently with ongoing disclosure." Archdiocese names firm to review priest files
MINNESOTA
KARE ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Thursday they have hired a consulting firm to review clergy files in their ongoing efforts to address issues of sexual misconduct within the church. Kinsale Management Consulting will begin reviewing all clergy files in early December, beginning with a review of clergy in active ministry. Kinsale will conduct an initial assessment before determining how long the review will take. Kinsale Management Consulting was founded by Dr. Kathleen McChesney, a former top FBI official. She was also head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Child and Youth Protection, where she oversaw a program to ensure dioceses complied with policies to prevent and report sexual abuse. We will never get over it, says sex abuse victim
AUSTRALIA
Border Mail Nov. 15, 2013 DENNIS Hayes doubts child sexual abuse victims will ever get over the horror. The recent public scrutiny of institutionalised child sexual abuse, he said, would at least give them a degree of normality. A big part of that process was the apology — four years ago tomorrow — from then prime minister Kevin Rudd to the “Forgotten Australians”. These are the roughly 500,000 children who found themselves in orphanages or church-run or state homes between 1930 and 1970. Mr Hayes does not want to reveal his own story, aside to say that growing up in 11 different institutions qualified him as one of “the forgotten”. The apology, the federal government’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Victorian Parliament’s inquiry into clergy child sexual abuse were important steps in helping victims, he said. Statement Regarding Hiring of Outside Firm for Clergy File Review
MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Date:Thursday, November 14, 2013 Source:Jim Accurso As part of the plan to ensure a comprehensive approach to address the issue of clergy sexual misconduct, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis today announced it has retained Kinsale Management Consulting in fulfillment of Archbishop John Nienstedt’s stated intention to hire an outside firm to conduct a third-party review of clergy files. After evaluating the credentials of a number of nationally-recognized firms with established and appropriate expertise, Kinsale was hired. ”We are confident in the credentials and relevant expertise of Kinsale Management Consulting to conduct a thorough review of our clergy files,” said Fr. Reginald Whitt, O.P., the Vicar of Ministerial Standards. “Our number one goal was to find someone with extensive experience and expertise nationally in this area, and Kinsale certainly has those qualities.” Kinsale was founded by Kathleen McChesney, Ph.D., the former number three official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office for Child and Youth Protection, where she developed and oversaw a national compliance mechanism to ensure that all Catholic dioceses complied with civil laws and internal policies relative to the prevention, reporting and response to the sexual abuse of minors. Kinsale’s review will add another level of accountability and - most importantly - will further serve the Archdiocese’s primary goal of protecting minors. Kinsale’s file review process is slated to begin in early December and will start with a review of all clergy in active ministry. Once the Kinsale team is on board and can do an initial assessment, they will be able to provide an estimate of the timeframe required to complete their work. “Dr. McChesney and her team bring an extraordinary depth of experience, background in law enforcement and the investigation of crimes against children, and dedication to their work in both religious and secular organizations. Their expertise and leadership in addressing the problem of abuse of minors will ensure that Kinsale’s review of our clergy files will be objective and thorough,” said Archbishop John Nienstedt. “With the benefit of this level of review, we will proceed confidently with ongoing disclosure.” Dr. McChesney has thirty years of law enforcement experience and innate talent for inspiring collaboration and change. She created the FBI’s Office of Law Enforcement Coordination to establish more productive relationships between the FBI and the nation’s 18,000 police agencies, and the National Intel Share project to promote information sharing among the nation’s 680,000 law enforcement officers. She managed the FBI’s international operations in 44 foreign countries and spearheaded the FBI’s efforts to add 11 additional offices through interactions with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Congress. Neinstedt hires another Catholic figure; SNAP responds
MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests POSTED BY BARBARA DORRIS ON NOVEMBER 14, 2013 Embattled Twin Cities Archbishop John Neinstedt has hand-picked another bureaucrat Embattled Twin Cities Archbishop John Neinstedt has hand-picked another bureaucrat to help him cling to and repair his damaged reputation. She’s Kathleen McChesney, who was hired by America’s bishops to head their new Office of Child Protection a decade ago. McChesney is the quintessential bureaucrat, unwilling to challenge corruption and anxious to please her bosses. She was no ‘profile in courage’ when she helped US bishops out of a jam a decade ago. We doubt she will be now. Whether Nienstedt shares a few carefully selected records with one retired bureaucrat or ten, or with one lay catholic or a dozen, it won’t matter. Neither McChesney nor anyone else Nienstedt pays will have subpoena power or real independence. Catholic officials can scream 'independent' over and over. But if they pick and pay the people they'll consult with, no one can truly believe those new 'hired hands' will be unbiased. It's very smart and safe for Nienstedt to hire McChesney. She did the bidding for bishops a decade ago and she'll do this bishop's bidding now. St. Paul cops deny that Nienstedt, others under investigation
MINNESOTA
MinnPost By Brian Lambert In the PiPress, Richard Chin reports that St. Paul police are denying a KSTP-TV report that Archbishop John Nienstedt and other high-level church figures are under criminal investigation: “Police previously declined to comment on whether the investigation was targeting additional priests. On Wednesday, Padilla denied media reports that Archbishop John Nienstedt and the Rev. Peter Laird, former archdiocese vicar general, are part of the investigation. ‘At this moment, at this time that we're speaking, Archbishop John Nienstedt and former vicar general Father Peter Laird are not the focus of investigation as we sit here and talk,’ Padilla said. ‘Does that mean they won't be later on? It does not. What it means is they aren't at this moment.’ He said the two are ‘not the center of our investigation at this time, and as a matter of fact, at this moment as we stand here this day, they're not being investigated.’ But Padilla also said, ‘We are not going to limit the focus of this investigation.’ " St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese names Kinsale Management Consulting to review priest files
MINNESOTA
The Republic THE ASSOCIATED PRESS November 14, 2013 ST. PAUL, Minnesota — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has named the firm it has hired to review priest files as part of its plan to address clergy sexual misconduct. The archdiocese announced Thursday that Kinsale Management Consulting will conduct the review. Kinsale was founded by Kathleen McChesney, a former top FBI official. She was also head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Child and Youth Protection, where she oversaw a program to ensure dioceses complied with policies to prevent and report sexual abuse. The archdiocese says Kinsale's review will add another level of accountability and help protect children. Another “win” for Kansas City’s convicted Bishop Finn
MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests POSTED BY BARBARA DORRIS ON NOVEMBER 14, 2013 Imagine this: A bank robber shoots and kills two people – first a custodian and a then a teller - as they run away seeking safety. The criminal is held responsible for the custodian’s death but not for the teller’s death. Why? Because when the bullet hit the custodian, he was on bank property but when the bullet hit the teller, she was actually standing on a public sidewalk. Pretty crazy scenario, right? Why should the actual physical site of a crime enable wrongdoers who commit or conceal that crime to get off the hook? But that’s exactly what’s happening in Missouri with clergy sex crimes and cover ups. In 2011, St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson and his colleagues got off the hook because Fr. Cooper molested a boy at a riverside cabin that was owned by the priest (but NOT owned by the church). Report of Australian Commission on Child Abuse in Religious Organizations Unsparing in Criticism of Catholic Church
AUSTRALIA
Bilgrimage William D. Lindsey The committee established by the parliament of Victoria in Australia to conduct an inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non-governmental organizations has just presented its report to parliament. The report is entitled A Betrayal of Trust, and is online at the parliamentary website (part one is here, part two here, and an executive summary here; all are pdf files). As David Marr reports for The Guardian, the report is "unsparing" in its criticism of the Catholic church. The report notes that it focuses on the Catholic church because the submissions it received from victims of abuse in Victoria when parliament established the inquiry were preponderantly from people who had experienced abuse by Catholic religious authority figures. A major theme of abuse survivors was the betrayal of trust by religious organizations they had previously trusted--as the report notes, "particularly the Catholic Church." That betrayal of trust had eroded their sense of self-worth throughout their lives, survivors reported, resulting in mental health struggles, difficulty establishing healthy relationships, addiction issues, problems in education and employment, and so forth. Regarding religious groups and how their betrayal of victims' trust affected their lives, the report's executive summary states, This feeling resulted from the inconsistent approaches by organisations to victims versus offenders—that is, giving inadequate support to victims, while providing pastoral, legal and financial support to offenders. They spoke of unfulfilled promises by leaders in the organisation and the trivializing of their experiences. About the response of the Catholic church, in particular, the report states, In regard to the Catholic Church specifically, the Committee found that rather than being instrumental in exposing the criminal abuse of children and the extent of the problem, senior leaders of the Church: • trivialised the problem • contributed to abuse not being disclosed or not being responded to at all prior to the 1990s • ensured that the Victorian community remained uninformed of the abuse • ensured that perpetrators were not held accountable, with the tragic result being that children continued to be abused by some religious personnel when it could have been avoided. Child porn bust: Anatomy of an international child pornography investigation
CANADA
Toronto Star By: Robert Cribb Foreign, Investigations Jennifer Quinn, News reporter Julian Sher, Published on Thu Nov 14 2013 The customers logged in from around the world: Germany. Spain. Mexico. Australia. Hundreds from Canada and the United States. They came from all walks of life; they worked as schoolteachers and newspaper editors, as police officers and doctors. What they had in common, police allege, was that they paid a Toronto man to provide them with explicit “naturist” videos of children — and, as a result, they are now caught up in what is believed to be the smashing of the largest, most extensive commercial child pornography ring ever uncovered in Canada. Among law enforcement, the investigation is known as Project Spade. For nearly a year, a team of Star reporters was granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the child exploitation unit of the Toronto Police Service as they brought their three-year investigation to a conclusion. At the centre of the ring, police allege, is Brian Way: A 42-year-old with a thin goatee and carefully groomed hair, he faces 24 charges of making, possessing, distributing, exporting and selling the explicit images of boys — who range in age from toddlers to teens — in videos that investigators say were edited, packaged and sold from his west-end Toronto warehouse. They have also laid a charge of instructing a criminal organization, the first time this has been done in relation to a child pornography investigation. It is a charge more usually associated with gangs or organized crime. “This case has really challenged people to reconsider what nudism and child modelling are,” said Toronto police Detective-Constable Lisa Belanger, who led the investigation. “It’s caused countries around the world to look at this material and ask whether it’s OK for doctors, teachers, daycare providers and hockey coaches to be buying this kind of material. Countries from South Africa to Australia, Isle of Man to Hong Kong and Spain have all said it’s not OK. I think it’s going to have ripple effects everywhere.” Hundreds held over Canada child porn
CANADA
BBC News Police in Canada say 348 people have been arrested and nearly 400 children rescued during a three-year investigation into child pornography. At the centre of the inquiry was a Toronto-based firm that allegedly sold DVDs and streamed videos of naked children. Azov Films marketed the footage as "naturist" and claimed it was legal in Canada and the US. The films were distributed in 94 countries, police said. In Canada 108 arrests were made, with another 76 in the US and 164 in other countries during the investigation codenamed Project Spade. 348 people arrested in child-porn case connected to Canadian firm
CANADA
The Globe and Mail TU THANH HA The Globe and Mail Published Thursday, Nov. 14 2013 A Canadian company raked in $4-million from the sale of images of nude Eastern European boys, Toronto police said on Thursday, revealing details of a major international child-pornography investigation that rescued hundreds of victims. The company, Toronto-based Azov Films, sold mail-order DVDs and streamed online videos of naked boys from Germany, Romania and Ukraine, which it marketed as naturist movies and claimed were legal in Canada and the United States. After three years of investigation, 348 suspects were arrested in dozens of countries around the world, from Australia to Sweden to Mexico. Sources say the investigation identified 10 to 15 children in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, who modelled for photographers connected with Azov. In addition, police said, as Azov clients were identified around the world, police found other children who were within reach to those customers and were either physically abused or recorded in illicit videos. At least 386 minors were removed from harm’s way, said Inspector Joanna Beaven-Desjardins, commander of the Toronto police sex crimes unit. Canada Says 386 Kids Rescued in Child Porn Bust
CANADA
ABC News TORONTO November 14, 2013 By CHARMAINE NORONHA Associated Press A sweeping child pornography investigation has led to the rescue of 386 children around the world and the arrest of 348 people, Canadian police said Thursday. Toronto police describe the Project Spade operation as one of the largest child porn busts they've ever seen. "It is alleged that officers seized hundreds of thousands of videos detailing horrific sexual acts against very young children, some of the worst that they have ever viewed," Inspector Joanna Beaven-Desjardins said. Police said 108 people were arrested in Canada and 76 in the U.S. Others were arrested in other countries. School teachers, doctors and actors were among those arrested. Police said the children were "rescued from child exploitation" but did not give more details. Beaven-Desjardins said the investigation began with a Toronto man accused of running a company since 2005 that distributed child pornography videos. NSW Police arrest four men ...
AUSTRALIA
New South Wales Police Force NSW Police arrest four men as part of global investigation into online child exploitation Friday, 15 November 2013 07:31:42 AM Two teachers, a priest and a former priest have been arrested by the NSW Police Force as part of a global investigation targeting the users of a Canadian-based child exploitation website. More than 300 suspects have been arrested worldwide during the Toronto Police Service-led investigation, including 65 people in Australia. Meanwhile, 386 children have been removed from harm worldwide, including six in Australia. The three-year investigation was announced last night by Canadian authorities who have referred the details of numerous Australian-based users of the child exploitation website to policing jurisdictions in Australia. Under what is known as Operation Thunderer, the Australian Federal Police and state and territory police have arrested 65 people who have been charged with 399 offences. That includes four men arrested by the NSW Police Force Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit: • A 42-year-old school teacher arrested at Cowra on Wednesday 24 July 2013 and charged with possess child abuse material and using a carriage service to access child pornography; • A 57-year-old Catholic priest arrested at The Rocks on Monday 29 July 2013 and charged with using a carriage service to access child pornography; • A 42-year-old school teacher arrested at Emu Plains on Wednesday 7 August 2013 and charged with possess child abuse material and using a carriage service to access child pornography; and • A 72-year-old retired Catholic priest arrested at Lake Haven on Tuesday 20 August 2013 and charged with possessing child abuse material and using a carriage service to access child pornography. Child Pornography Ring Busted
AUSTRALIA/CANADA
Triple M Two teachers, a priest and a former priest have been arrested by the NSW Police Force as part of a global investigation targeting the users of a Canadian-based child exploitation website. More than 300 suspects have been arrested worldwide during the Toronto Police Service-led investigation, including 65 people in Australia. Breakdown of Offenders by state: NSW 9, VIC 5, QLD 33, WA 5, ACT 1 and SA 12. Meanwhile, 386 children have been removed from harm worldwide, including six in Australia. The three-year investigation was announced last night by Canadian authorities who have referred the details of numerous Australian-based users of the child exploitation website to policing jurisdictions in Australia. Under what is known as Operation Thunderer, the Australian Federal Police and state and territory police have arrested 65 people who have been charged with 399 offences. 65 Aussies arrested in Canadian porn bust
CANADA/AUSTRALIA
9 News NSW police say two teachers, a priest and a former priest have been arrested as part of a global investigation into a Canadian-based child pornography ring. Six Australian children are among the 386 around the world who have been removed from harm, they say. More than 340 suspects around the world, including 65 Australians, were arrested during the swoop that was led by Toronto police. The three-year investigation was announced by Canadian authorities on Thursday night. The 65 Australians arrested have been charged with 399 offences. In NSW they include a 42-year-old school teacher arrested at Cowra on July 24 and another 42-year-old Emu Plains teacher arrested on August 7. A 72-year-old retired Catholic priest was arrested at Lake Haven on the Central Coast on August 20 and a 57-year-old priest was arrested at The Rocks on July 29. St. Paul Police says top archdiocese officials are not being criminally investigated
MINNESOTA
KARE [with video] Lindsey Seavert ST PAUL, Minn--- The St. Paul Police department announced an update into the investigation into the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, saying Archbishop John Nienstedt and former Vicar General Peter Laird are not being criminally investigated at this time. "Archbishop John Nienstedt and former Vicar General Peter Laird are not the focus of the investigation as we sit here in talk. Does that mean it won't be later on? It does not. What it means they aren't at this moment," said Howie Padilla, St. Paul Police spokesperson. Padilla said his department has not made any arrests or forwarded any cases to the Ramsey County Attorney. He would not comment on any executed search warrants or the number of potential victims who have come forward to police. In late October, St. Paul Police asked these victims to contact authorities. "We have had very courageous folks bravely come forward with their stories. We've asked them to. We told them we would treat them with the utmost respect, do what we could to help them. And hold anybody responsible for criminal activity accountable. We will continue to do that," said Padilla. MO - Archdiocese in court Friday, seeks to limit discovery
ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests Archbishop wants to give less info to victim Carlson’s lawyers will try tomorrow to limit judge’s ruling Case involves convicted predator priest who abused in 2000 Catholic officials have been ordered to turn over 20 years of records The documents would cover child sex abuse allegations vs. all church employees For immediate release: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 For more information: David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP Director (314) 566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com St. Louis’ Catholic archbishop has been ordered to turn over information about every archdiocesan employee who has been accused of child sex crimes going back two decades. Tomorrow, lawyers for the archbishop will try to severely restrict that order and limit the information they must provide to the alleged victim of a convicted St. Louis predator priest. The case involves Fr. Joseph D. Ross, who allegedly molested a girl at an inner city parish in 2000. In 1988, Ross pled guilty to sexually assaulting an 11 year old boy during confession. Despite that conviction, Catholic officials quietly put Ross back on the job but told no one about his crimes. In May, a St. Louis city judge ordered Catholic officials to turn over records about 20 years of child allegations of sexual abuse by employees of the archdiocese. Lawyers for Archbishop Robert Carlson want Judge Robert Dierker to reconsider his order. They say they should be forced to provide records for a shorter period of time, only about alleged child sex crimes, only about accused priests (not bishops, seminarians, brothers, nuns, teachers and other employees), and only records that have already been made public through criminal or civil court filings. Pope Francis now a Mafia target over war on graft, claims leading prosecutor
VATICAN CITY
Irish Independent NICK SQUIRES – 14 NOVEMBER 2013 Pope Francis is at risk of mafia retribution as a result of his determination to clean up corruption and cronyism within the Catholic Church, one of Italy's best known anti-mob prosecutors said. Nicola Gratteri, who has lived under police protection for nearly 25 years, said the Jesuit Pope's campaign to tackle graft was upsetting powerful crime organisations in Italy, which have in the past enjoyed a cosy relationship with the Catholic hierarchy. "Those who have up until now profited from the power and wealth deriving from the church are now nervous, agitated. The Pope is dismantling centres of economic power in the Vatican," said Mr Gratteri (55), who has spent his career fighting the 'Ndrangheta mafia of Calabria in the far south of Italy. Pope shuns presidential guard escort for Italy state visit amid new security fears over reform
ROME
Newser By NICOLE WINFIELD | ASSOCIATED PRESS Pope Francis shunned a presidential guard escort for his first state visit to the Italian president Thursday in yet another breach of protocol and security, even though some people have expressed concerns for his safety as he ramps up his reform of the Vatican. Francis' simple blue Ford Focus and the small Vatican motorcade pulled up quietly to the Quirinale Palace without the blaring of sirens that typically accompanies politicians and foreign dignitaries cruising through central Rome. Once inside the onetime summer residence of popes, Francis walked slowly with President Giorgio Napolitano past the honor guard and then greeted staff members and their children, further evidence of a more casual approach to official duties by the Argentine "slum pope." Francis' shunning of the trappings of the papacy _ including its security apparatus _ has defined his papacy so far. But his desire to be close to his flock and his aim to curb corruption and waste in the Vatican have raised fresh security fears, beyond the occasional mobbing of his open car by overly enthusiastic pilgrims. A leading anti-Mafia prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri, this week raised the alarm that Francis' financial house-cleaning might make him a target for Italy's mob, though he provided no evidence that such a threat existed or that the mob was planning a hit. TRC given one year extension to complete mandate: Valcourt
CANADA
APTN APTN National News OTTAWA–The Harper government has given the Truth and Reconciliation Commission a one-year extension, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said Thursday. The TRC had been seeking the extension arguing it didn’t have time to go through over a million documents from federal government archives. The TRC was contemplating taking court action to force Ottawa into giving it the extension. “This additional year would allow the (TRC) sufficient time to complete its mandate, including writing its final report and receiving those documents held at Library and Archives Canada,” said Valcourt in a statement. “Our government remains committed to achieving a fair and lasting resolution to the legacy of Indian residential schools which lies at the heart of reconciliation and the renewal of the relationship between Aboriginal people and all Canadians.” The TRC’s extension will run until June 30, 2015. Statement by the Honourable Bernard Valcourt on the Mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
CANADA
Digital Journal Canada NewsWire OTTAWA, Nov. 14, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, issued the following statement today: "I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada will work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, as well as the Ontario Superior Court to provide the Commission with a one-year extension to its operating period, until June 30, 2015, as requested by the Commission. This additional year would allow the Commission sufficient time to complete its mandate, including writing its final report and receiving those documents held at Library and Archives Canada that Canada provides during this period. We look forward to continuing to assist the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with its important mandate and to meeting Canada's obligations as set out in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Our government remains committed to achieving a fair and lasting resolution to the legacy of Indian Residential Schools, which lies at the heart of reconciliation and the renewal of the relationship between Aboriginal people and all Canadians." This statement is also available on the Internet at www.aandc.gc.ca. The Shocking Scandal at the Heart of American Zen
UNITED STATES
The Daily Beast Click here for the story. Nov 14, 2013 Even Zen masters can be deviants. Inside the new book that unearths a disturbing pattern of affairs at the top of one of the largest Buddhist communities in the U.S. A new ebook by New York Times religion columnist Mark Oppenheimer alleges what many in the American Buddhist community have known for years: that some of its most revered teachers were also serial sex offenders. Case in point: Eido Shimano Roshi. The founder and leader of New York’s Zen Studies Society—among the largest Western Buddhist communities in America, with prominent CEOs and celebrities among its members—Shimano carried on clandestine affairs with over a dozen women in his community over the course of thirty years, according to Oppenheimer’s provocatively titled Zen Predator of the Upper East Side. The book is a devastating indictment of Shimano Roshi, filled with hard evidence of the affairs and the cover-ups, the testimony of several victims, and occasionally lurid details. It even includes Shimano’s own confession to having sex with some students, though, he says, “far fewer” than his accusers allege. As with many religious sex scandals, this is old news to insiders. Other Zen roshis with similar allegations against them include Richard Baker, Joshu Sasaki, Taizan Maezumi—the list goes on, really. The pattern is disturbingly familiar from Catholic, Ultra-Orthodox Jewish, and similar systematic abuse scandals: insiders made aware, positive values of spiritual teacher stressed, abuse hushed up, abuse repeated. Yet in Shimano’s case, the facts are murkier. First, all of his “victims,” if that’s even the right word, were adults; this was not a case of predation of teenagers, as in the Catholic Church. Second, none were raped, in the narrowest (and legal) sense of the term. And while some sexual acts are alleged to have been coerced, most of Shimano’s reported liaisons were consensual—that is, if there can ever be consent within a power relationship such as that between guru and disciple, which perhaps there cannot. Finally, while Shimano was married, it’s not known what his wife made of the allegations, or when she knew of them. Bishop: We didn't do all that much in Baltimore
UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter Joshua J. McElwee | Nov. 14, 2013 NCR Today Fall bishops' meeting 2013 The U.S. bishops did little actual business during their annual plenary assembly in Baltimore this week, one bishop and former associate and general secretary of the bishops' conference wrote. In years past, says St. Petersburg, Fla., Bishop Robert Lynch, the bishops "struggled" to fit a full agenda into a three day time-frame. This time, he states: "Other than approving some necessary liturgical texts, giving permission to a committee to develop a pastoral statement on pornography, we didn't do a lot to advance the kingdom of God on earth -- at least publicly." Lynch, who served in his roles at the conference from 1984 to 1995, made the statement about this year's assembly in a posting at his personal diocesan blog. The bishops met for their annual assembly at a Baltimore hotel Monday through Wednesday. Sessions Monday and Tuesday morning were open to the press while the rest were held behind closed doors during so-called executive sessions. St. Paul Police: KSTP 'Inaccurate' About Archdiocese Investigation
MINNESOTA
KAAL Updated at: 11/14/2013 By: Jay Kolls KSTP first reported Tuesday that sources confirmed two top officials at the Twin Cities Catholic Archdiocese were part of an investigation. Sources tell KSTP it is connected to a child pornography case that has been reopened against a priest. Those same sources say St. Paul Police want to know what Archbishop John Nienstedt and former Vicar General Father Peter Laird knew about the child pornography, when they knew it, and if they knew about it, why they didn't report it to police in a timely manner. A whistleblower has already, in several interviews, named Archbishop Nienstedt and Father Laird as leaders who knew about the possible child pornography and did not immediately turn it over to authorities. St. Paul Police held a news conference to say our KSTP report was "inaccurate" and that the two church leaders are not the "focus of an investigation." But, they stopped short of saying our story was wrong. John Furlong libel: Lawyer for journalist demands apology from ex-Olympics CEO
CANADA
CTV Keven Drews, The Canadian Press Published Thursday, November 14, 2013 VANCOUVER -- The journalist accused of defaming the former head of the Vancouver Olympics is now accusing John Furlong of damaging her reputation. Laura Robinson's lawyer, Bryan Baynham, has sent a letter to Furlong's legal counsel, demanding the former Vancouver Olympics' CEO apologize for and retract statements made about his client during a recent media blitz. In the Wednesday letter, Baynham also demanded Furlong remove a statement, "Enough is Enough," from his personal website. Baynham alleged Furlong's statements were false and damaged Robinson's "hard-earned reputation for independence and journalistic excellence." Baynham also alleged Robinson's ability to earn a living as a lecturer and freelance journalist has been "severely affected." Furlong responded in an emailed statement that no apology is merited nor will be made, and his online posting will stand and he will continue to pursue the case in court. Writer locked in legal battle with John Furlong demands apology
CANADA
Vancouver Sun By LORI CULBERT, VANCOUVER SUN November 13, 2013 VANCOUVER -- Two weeks after former 2010 Olympics CEO John Furlong accused Laura Robinson of harassment and shoddy journalism, the writer’s lawyer is demanding an apology and accusing Furlong of defaming his client in media interviews. “Mr. Furlong’s false statements and the latest media assault he unleashed are very damaging to Ms Robinson,” says a letter her lawyer Bryan Baynham sent Wednesday to Furlong’s counsel, John Hunter. “Please accept this letter as a demand for a full and complete retraction and an apology.” She and Furlong are locked in a series of lawsuits over a story Robinson penned for the Georgia Straight a year ago alleging Furlong mistreated native students while a teacher at Northern B.C. residential schools more than 40 years ago. In a series of media interviews two weeks ago, Furlong denied any wrongdoing, accused Robinson of spreading false accusations, and said the firestorm had affected his livelihood and personal life. Abbott's response to child sexual abuse by clergy angers victims
AUSTRALIA
The Age November 15, 2013 Barney Zwartz Religion editor, The Age. Prime Minister Tony Abbott's support for Cardinal George Pell over child sex abuse is inappropriate and factually wrong, victims say. This new controversy came as the Speaker of the Victorian Parliament, Ken Smith, accused the former Melbourne vicar-general, Gerald Cudmore, of committing perjury in evidence he gave to a parliamentary inquiry in 1993. Mr Smith said highly placed Catholics stifled his inquiry's report. Mr Abbott told Fairfax Radio that Cardinal Pell, a former Catholic archbishop of Melbourne, was the first senior cleric to take sexual abuse by clergy seriously. Asked whether Cardinal Pell, now Archbishop of Sydney, carried any responsibility for the failures described by the report of the Victorian inquiry into the church's handling of child sexual abuse, Mr Abbott said he hadn't read it. ''As is pretty well known, I have a lot of time for George Pell … my understanding is that the first senior cleric who took this issue very seriously was in fact Cardinal Pell.'' The report, Betrayal of Trust, said the cardinal was reluctant to acknowledge and accept responsibility for the church's failings on criminal child abuse. It also strongly condemned the current Catholic leadership, saying it trivialised and minimised abuse, treated it as ''a short-term embarrassment'', and betrayed the church's purported values. Jewish child-sex claims inquiry
AUSTRALIA
The Australian RACHEL BAXENDALE THE AUSTRALIAN NOVEMBER 15, 2013 THE umbrella organisation for Jewish welfare groups in Victoria has launched its own investigation and support scheme in response to new claims of child-sex abuse at Jewish children's homes in the 1960s. Jewish Care Victoria revealed yesterday it had been contacted in late September by three individuals alleging they had been abused in residential care. The news came in the wake of the handing-down on Wednesday of the findings of the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non-government organisations. JCV president Mike Debinski said although his organisation understood it was not legally liable for the abuse, which occurred in children's homes that no longer exist, the board of management felt a moral obligation to provide support to victims, given the history of previous Jewish community organisations that operated the homes. "Our primary concern is for the welfare of anyone who may have experienced abuse," he said. "We will assess all claims and are offering services such as counselling, case-management and support." Priest convicted of sexually abusing young sisters steps up
NORTHERN IRELAND
Fermanagh Herald A PRIEST who was convicted of sexually abusing three Fermanagh sisters more than 40 years ago is attempting to clear this name Fr Eugene Lewis was jailed for four years in September 2010 for 11 counts of indecent assault. He denied the abuse, which was said to have been carried out in County Fermanagh between 1963 and 1973. Fr Lewis has already successfully appealed three of the 11 counts he was found guilty of committing in November 2011 and last year the was freed after having his sentence reduced to two years and nine months on foot of this. Last week senior judges in Belfast refused Fr Lewis’ application to go before the Supreme Court on the remaining counts. Heed the voice of the wounded child
AUSTRALIA
Eureka Street Moira Rayner | 14 November 2013 The findings of Victoria's parliamentary inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in non-government institutions surprise nobody who has been listening. But they are listening to adults, not children. The truth is, we started to talk about emotional, physical and sexual maltreatment as children in the '60s and '70s, when the language and concepts of 'abuse' were developing through the research. The cone of silence started to lift a little. We know now why it did: there were just too many dirty secrets underneath. And there were a lot more opportunities to talk about them — group and individual therapy, therapeutic and spiritual and 'self-actualisation' movements — and even newly accessible professional, medical, and free and empathetic legal services. As the wounded child within the damaged man or woman spoke, it was eventually realised that if it happened then, it could be happening now. Unless we take children seriously as people, it will. Unless individuals within the culture of their institution see it as a duty to stick their necks out and challenge its culture, it will. Unless bishops and their helpers and archbishops and cardinals and religious supporting them in their spiritual work take personal responsibility for protecting vulnerable people ahead of protecting the reputation of their institution, it will happen again. A report of misconduct by even a very powerful person within that institution should not lead to the expulsion of the messenger. It should bring into question the culture of the organisation, that such a report could surface decades after the reported misconduct. It could just happen again. I am acutely aware of the present day experience of Professor Patrick Parkinson, who was asked to advise one Catholic teaching order on its culture, and then withdrew, citing institutional obduracy and avoidance as making the completion of his task impossible. The Victorian Inquiry: sinful behaviour, or dangerous belief?
AUSTRALIA
The Conversation Peter Sherlock Vice-Chancellor at MCD University of Divinity The report of the Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Non-Government Organisations has now been tabled in the Victorian Parliament. Entitled Betrayal of Trust, it is sober reading. It deserves to be read by everyone involved in the leadership of religious organisations in Australia to ensure that the widespread abuses and systemic failures it documents are never allowed to occur again. If acted upon, its recommendations will see the most fundamental overhaul of the way the churches are governed in Victoria’s history. This is because the inquiry has taken seriously the complex structures and histories of religious institutions in governance, law, and authority. The report recognises that churches should be free to determine their own beliefs and behaviours in purely religious matters. It also recognises that it is hard to define the limits of what is and what is not a religious matter. At issue is not the separation of church and state. Rather, the question is the extent to which the state ought to regulate the churches in matters such as freedom of conscience, or freedom to discriminate. Comments From Victims And Activists (Or: My Lawyer Can Beat Your Lawyer)
AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net The Victorian State Parliamentary enquiry into child sexual abuse by clergy has presented its report, which contains 15 principal recommendations for the Victorian Government (see yesterday’s posting). Laws covering these recommendations are expected to be passed by the Parliament early next year. While the bulk of the report reinforces the pre-existing perception that abuse was widespread, covered up and that victims were poorly treated, the focus for it has been the legislative changes required to do something about the problems. Any new laws will have to be carefully crafted to avoid loop-holes which the churches’ lawyers could exploit. It is probably, therefore, worthwhile, to commence an analysis of responses by stakeholders with members of the legal profession who are associated with the victims. Melbourne lawyer, Angela Sdrinis, who acts on behalf of victims, said the legislative reforms and removal of the statute of limitations were very important. “Most historical abuse claimants face that defence that their claim is out of time,” she said. “The recommendations regarding ensuring that church entities can be sued in these cases of historical abuse is very important, but the recommendations regarding an alternative justice model are also very important.” Ms Sdrinis said very few of the hundreds, if not thousands, of claims made against the Catholic Church had succeeded because of two “almost impregnable” legal defences. “The two important things for me as a lawyer representing people are the legislative reform and the abolition of the statute of limitations is obviously very important,” she said. Further, she hopes the government will act quickly to take on the recommendations, and not wait for the outcome of the federal royal commission into child sexual abuse Family of late man who accused priest of abuse sues Archdiocese
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Daily News MENSAH M. DEAN, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER DEANM@PHILLYNEWS.COM, 215-568-8278 POSTED: Thursday, November 14, 2013 THE FAMILY of the man who died of a drug overdose last month just before testifying in court against the Catholic priest he accused of sexually molesting him filed a wrongful-death lawsuit yesterday against the priest and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The civil suit filed in Common Pleas Court by the family of Sean Patrick McIlmail alleges that the church failed to remove Father Robert L. Brennan from having contact with children even after officials learned he had behaved inappropriately with numerous boys. McIlmail, 26, died of a drug overdose Oct. 13, which led to the abrupt cancellation of a preliminary hearing for Brennan, 75. Criminal charges against him are expected to be formally dropped at a court hearing today. "Sean appeared good on the outside, but on the inside, he didn't believe in himself," Sean's mother, Deborah, said at a news conference yesterday. "The unspeakable, disgusting horrors that had happened to Sean by Father Robert L. Brennan would haunt Sean forever." The Archdiocese had no comment on the lawsuit, a spokeswoman said. Overdose victim's family sues archdiocese for wrongful death
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer JOSEPH A. SLOBODZIAN, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Thursday, November 14, 2013 A month ago, Deborah McIlmail learned that her troubled 26-year-old son, Sean, had died of an accidental drug overdose. On Wednesday, McIlmail took an unusual first step to memorialize her son's passing - by filing a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, contending that church officials ignored years of complaints against the Rev. Robert L. Brennan while he molested Sean and more than 20 other boys. "This is his [Sean's] legacy," McIlmail, 57, told reporters at a Center City news conference. "Sean will empower sexual-abuse victims who live in darkness and shame, and consequently bring about the necessary changes for the Catholic Church." The suit, filed in Common Pleas Court, also names Brennan and Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former church official responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct by priests. Lynn, 62, is the former secretary for clergy who was convicted of child endangerment last year and is serving three to six years in prison. According to trial testimony, Lynn took part in transferring Brennan from parish to parish while he repeatedly molested preteen boys. Child Advocates Concerned by St. Paul Police Announcement on Church Abuse Investigation
MINNESOTA
KSTP [with video] By: Nick Winkler St. Paul police announced Wednesday their investigation into the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese is not focused on church leaders right now. Archbishop John Nienstedt has been criticized for how he has handled priest sex abuse allegations. The announcement regarding Nienstedt has some child advocates concerned it could impact an abuse victim's decision on whether to come forward. Some are calling on law enforcement to become more aggressive in regard to investigating the archdiocese. A litany of abuse and betrayal
AUSTRALIA
The Australian Editorial ENDEMIC criminality and cover-ups warrant strong responses. To that end, the recommendations of the Victorian inquiry into child sex abuse by religious and other organisations should be considered on a national basis by the royal commission into child abuse and by political leaders. The recommendations include lifting the statute of limitations to assist victims, making it an offence to conceal abuse, a statutory body to monitor and audit compliance on child protection requirements, and an independent body to handle victims' claims. After years of frustration, the Victorian inquiry provided victims with much-needed comfort by hearing and understanding their painful experiences at the hands of clerics and others in positions of trust, especially in the Catholic and Anglican churches and Salvation Army. As one victim said: "Any abuse is dreadful ... but when it happens within the context of the Christian community, it damages your soul ... it attacks your meaning of life." The behaviour of past church leaders was unconscionable. In 1993, for example, former archbishop Frank Little wrote a letter lauding the services of retired priest Desmond Gannon, when he knew the priest had admitted abusing five or six boys. The worst damage occurred in the decades up to the 1980s, when church responses were condemned as "seriously inadequate and sometimes non-existent". It was for that reason, Cardinal George Pell told the inquiry, he established the Melbourne Response in 1996. It was overseen by independent QC Peter O'Callaghan, an appointment welcomed by police. The inquiry was also scathing about the failure of church leaders in not reporting abuse to police. At that time, however, many victims refused to go to the police. John Paul II the Holy Father of Lies! Cardinal Dziwisz book: “JPII knew nothing” about bestial pedophile priest Fr. Maciel is Vatican Titanic Deceits
UNITED STATES
Pope Crimes & Vatican Evils... Paris Arrow The main reason why John Paul II must be canonized a saint soon as possible is because all priests are now forced to become Vatican robots: they must cite John Paul II in every homily especially in all Sunday homilies - so that every time they quote the evangelists or the Epistles, they must give only the “official Vatican interpretation” which is -- “What ‘saint’ John Paul II wrote”. So in all Vatican Catholic churches today, everything the priests say must be “The Epistle and Gospel (interpretation) according to ‘Saint’ John Paul II” only. Behold the new JP2 Matrix Clones a.k.a. Vatican Catholic Priests Robots! It’s not Roman Catholic Church anymore, see why below. Vatican robots have no hearts akin to Theology and John Paul II are heartless and together they made pedophile priest Fr. Marcial Maciel thrive Former Menifee Mormon Bishop Pleads Guilty to Sex Crimes
CALIFORNIA
Menifee 24 by Kristen Spoon @ 11/13/2013 A former Mormon bishop serving in Menifee pleaded guilty today to two felony sex crimes involving teenage girls who attended his church. He will serve three years in prison. Todd M. Edwards, 49, entered the guilty pleas as part of an agreement. The first count, sexual penetration with a foreign object with force and against the victim's will, is a felony and strike. The second count, sexual battery, also is a felony. Judge Becky L. Dugan said the first count carries with it a strike because of the severity of the crime. Edwards remains free on $65,000 cash bail until he returns to court on Dec. 11 to be remanded into custody. If he doesn't appear on that date, a bench warrant will be served, the agreement will be null and void, and Edwards could serve nine years per count. Edwards declined comment. He must register as a sex offender for life. Edwards, who currently resides in Nevada, was released as bishop of the Menifee Ward after church officials learned of the investigation in 2012. He was arrested at his Murrieta residence May 28, 2013 following an investigation into allegations of sexual crimes in November 2006 and February 2012. MENIFEE: Ex-Mormon bishop admits sex crimes with teen church members
CALIFORNIA
The Press-Enterprise BY SARAH BURGE STAFF WRITER November 13, 201 A former Mormon bishop pleaded guilty Wednesday, Nov. 13, to two felony sex crimes involving teen girls who attended his Menifee church. Todd M. Edwards, 49, who has been free since August on $65,000 bond, pleaded guilty to sexual battery and sexual penetration with a foreign object. The pleas were entered as part of an agreement with prosecutors. Under the plea deal, Edwards would receive three years in prison and be ordered to register for life as a sex offender at his sentencing, scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11. He also is charged with dissuading one of the victims from reporting a crime, but that charge is expected to be dismissed. “I think it was a wise resolution,” defense attorney Sean Davitt said after the hearing. Georgie Crozier and David O'Brien join ABC News Breakfast
AUSTRALIA
ABC News [video] Posted Thu 14 Nov 2013 Chairwoman of the Victoria Abuse Inquiry Georgie Crozier and Nationals MP David O'Brien joins ABC News Breakfast. Help is available to abuse victims in Victoria on 1800 819 817. Secret Tape In Lebovits And Kellner Trials Allegedly “Goes Missing” From D.A.’s Office
NEW YORK
Failed Messiah Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com A secretly recorded tape of alleged hasidic serial pedophile Rabbi Baruch Lebovits making incriminating statements to one of his victims appears to have “gone missing” from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office just as Lebovits is allegedly about to get a sweetheart plea deal from Brooklyn's outgoing D.A. Charles J. Hynes, Hella Winston reported in The Jewish Week. Last week, the prosecutors on the case against Samuel Kellner, the father of an alleged Lebovits victim who was accused by the D.A. of extorting Lebovits’ family, wanted to dismiss the case against Kellner due to lack of evidence. The D.A.’s Rackets Bureau Chief Michael Vecchione expelled them from his bureau and, with help of D.A. Charles J. Hynes, demoted them. Still, the evidence against Kellner has crumbled, with most of the key parts shown to be based on what appears to be perjured and illegally induced testimony and on a blatant mistranslation of a secret Yiddish language tape make by a member of the Lebovits family that purportedly recorded Kellner extorting the family. Crackdown on Child Sex Abuse Unravels
NEW YORK
The Jewish Daily Forward By Paul Berger Published October 31, 2011, issue of November 04, 2011. One of the most high-profile convictions of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi for sexual abuse in recent times may be in danger of reversal, according to new disclosures in court records obtained by the Forward. When Baruch Lebovits was sentenced last year to up to 32 years in jail, victims’ rights advocates hailed it as a turning point in the battle against sexual abuse in the insular Orthodox community. “From now on,” Joseph Diangello, an abuse victim turned advocate, told The Jewish Star at the time, “victims of sexual abuse in the Hasidic community that have no voice with the people that are supposed to protect them will have a voice in the court of law.” There was a sense that the wall of silence that had protected abusers in the ultra-Orthodox community for so long was finally crumbling. But Lebovits’s 2010 conviction is now unraveling amid allegations of perjury, conspiracy and extortion. Hear Sam Kellner — In His Own Words
NEW YORK
The Jewish Daily Forward [with audio] By Paul Berger For this week’s story about the cases of accused molester Baruch Lebovits and accused extortionist Sam Kellner, the Forward was provided with a trove of secretly-recorded conversations. Among the recordings is a conversation Sam Kellner had with the family of a man who had already pled guilty to abuse charges. Over the course of 80 minutes, Kellner counsels the family that the man could avoid jail by getting ultra-Orthodox rabbis to pressure Brooklyn district attorney Charles Hynes and by bribing prosecutors. (A spokesman for the DA’s office said assertions of possible wrongdoing are “ludicrous.”) The Forward made a commitment to protect the identity of the family involved, therefore we have provided two excerpts from the recording. Passages where people other than Kellner talk have been bleeped out. Sam Kellner's Tangled Hasidic Tale of Child Sex Abuse, Extortion and Faith
NEW YORK
The Jewish Daily Forward By Paul Berger Published November 14, 2013 This is a story about religion, sex abuse, power, extortion, bungled prosecutions and the pitfalls of pursuing justice in an insular Orthodox community where disputes are solved internally and mistrust of outsiders reigns. It involves a convicted sex offender; a Hasidic multimillionaire oil and diamond dealer; a drug addict; a New York assemblyman; a supporting cast of ultra-Orthodox rabbis, private investigators, victims’ advocates, bloggers and lawyers — including Alan Dershowitz — and a cache of secretly taped conversations. The story plays out against the backdrop of a bitter 2013 election battle for the post of Brooklyn district attorney in which claims of corruption, connivance and race-baiting abounded. But it began for me in 2010, in a courtroom in Brooklyn, where Baruch Lebovits, a Boro Park cantor recently convicted on eight counts of child sexual abuse, appeared for sentencing. On one side of the courtroom sat a phalanx of Lebovits’s black-clad supporters in neat rows. As one of Lebovits’s daughters entered the courtroom, she turned to the mass of advocates occupying the benches opposite and, fixing her red, raw eyes on them, insisted, “My father is innocent.” The advocates, many themselves victims of other ultra-Orthodox child molesters, were in court that day to show support for the victim and to see if justice would finally be served. Tape Seen As Incriminating In Kellner Case Disappears
NEW YORK
The Jewish Week 11/13/13 Hella Winston Jewish Week Correspondent A secretly recorded tape of an alleged serial pedophile making incriminating statements to one of his victims has apparently “gone missing” from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. That bombshell revelation came from chasidic abuse whistleblower Sam Kellner’s lawyers in court Tuesday morning, when the Brooklyn district attorney asked for and received an adjournment of Kellner’s case until the first week in January, when DA-elect Ken Thompson takes office. Last week, the prosecutors on the Kellner case had recommended it be dismissed today for lack of evidence, but, in a development that shocked seasoned lawyers, were overruled and then tossed out of their bureau by their controversial boss, Michael Vecchione. While Jerry Schmetterer, the spokesman for Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes, told the New York Post on Monday that Vecchione “believes there is a case” against Kellner, the assistant district attorney who appeared in court to request the adjournment, John Holmes, made it he clear he was merely the messenger and had no information about the case; he said the case has yet to be reassigned. Kellner’s lawyers, who lambasted the DA’s office for “playing games” with the court, told the judge they were ready to go to trial. They also requested discovery materials to which they are entitled, including the tape of a conversation between accused child molester Baruch Lebovits and one of his alleged victims. (Lebovits was convicted of child sexual abuse in 2010 but got his conviction reversed because of a prosecution violation. The district attorney has vowed to retry him and his next court date is Nov. 19, though sources have told The Jewish Week that he is likely to get a plea deal with little or no jail time). Stephen Budd case update...
FLORIDA
WPTV By: Brian Entin WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The topic of a plea deal came up at Stephen Budd's court hearing on Wednesday. Budd is the former Rosarian Academy teacher accused of sexually assaulting two young girls and also, according to police, having dozens of child porn images on his computer. His defense attorney says he is not part of plea deal discussions and they are just happening within the state attorney's office. "We are not at that point. We're still in the discovery phase. If the state makes an offer, obviously we'll talk about what the offer is in light of all the facts. But we're not seeking a plea at this point. We're preparing for trial," Budd's attorney Jason Weiss said. More Vic Jewish home abuse claims likely
AUSTRALIA
The Australian BY CHARISSE EDE AAP NOVEMBER 14, 2013 2:37PM MORE victims are expected to come forward with allegations of abuse at children's homes run by Victorian Jewish welfare organisations in the 1960s. Jewish Care Victoria has set up an independent support scheme to investigate claims by three people that they were abused in residential care run by previous Jewish organisations. Manny Waks, the founder of Jewish victims' support group Tzedek, believes more victims are likely to come forward following the allegations. "At this stage, it has come to my attention that there is at least one other alleged victim in this case," he told AAP. JCCV appreciates opportunity to provide input into sexual abuse inquiry
AUSTRALIA
J-Wire November 14, 2013 by Nina Bassat, President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), has welcomed the tabling of the Report of the Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Non-Government Organisations. She said: “I commend the Victorian Government on holding the Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse and thank the Committee Chair, Ms Georgie Crozier, MP and the rest of the Committee for providing an opportunity for the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) to give evidence. The conduct of the Inquiry was exemplary; it was rigorous and at the same time sympathetic and thoughtful. The process has been enormously valuable in allowing a large number of people to tell their story and for many of them, thus enabling the healing process to start. The JCCV supports the Report’s recommendations in relation to reporting of serious indictable offences and those relating to child endangerment and to grooming and I look forward to reading the Report in greater depth. Inquiry findings tipped to bring out more child abuse survivors
AUSTRALIA
ABC News The abuse survivor group Broken Rites says it is expecting more victims of childhood abuse to come forward as a result of parliamentary inquiry findings. The final report by the Victorian inquiry into child abuse at religious and other organisations was handed down in State Parliament yesterday. It suggested a range of legal changes to better protect children, including making concealing child abuse a criminal offence. A spokesman for Broken Rites, Dr Bernard Barrett, says historical cases of abuse in western Victoria have played a significant role in bringing the issue to the national agenda. "The parliamentary report, especially the parts that emphasise western Victoria, will grab attention throughout Australia, so I think you'll find that other victims of these crimes elsewhere in Australia will contact the state police," he said. "I think it will be a big topic in the future." The Holy See to fight graft
VATICAN CITY
The Voice of Russia An ad-hock investigation commission is due to report to Pope Francis I later this month on its probe into financial irregularities at the Vatican Bank. The Pontiff decided to put an end to fraud at the Institute for the Works of Religion, which is the official name of the Roman Curia's financial centre, right on his election in spring this year. The decision was prompted by advice from Italy's Finance Guard, which has been conducting its own probe into the Vatican Bank fraud since early this year. The investigation caused "voluntary resignations" in summer of the Vatican Bank Director Paolo Cipriani, Deputy Director Massimo Tulli, as well as about a dozen of lower-rank officials. The Vicar of Christ said during his Sunday Mass that it would be good to "tie corrupt officials to a rock and throw them in the sea", which is a quote from St. Luke the Evangelist. It is the first time that the Pontiff has made such a peremptory statement, which is evidence of his irritation at the fact that corruption and profit have taken root in the Catholic Church, and is also an admission that graft has reached epidemic proportions that call for interventions and drastic moves by secular and clerical authorities. Alas, it is human to be greedy, and man gives in to temptation, that is why Pope Francis called attention to that deadly sin, the general director of the Russian Political Information Centre, Alexei Mukhin, has told the Voice of Russia. Experience has shown that neither the super-hard measures, like shooting bribe-takers in China, nor attempted persuasion have proved helpful in extirpating that ugly phenomenon, he added. 26 Perlitz victims file lawsuits against Fairfield
CONNECTICUT
The Mirror Twenty-one new lawsuits filed last Thursday allege that Fairfield University and others failed to supervise Douglas Perlitz ‘92, who was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for sexually abusing boys at a school he founded in Haiti. These new cases bring the total of lawsuits against Fairfield and others to 26, said the victims’ attorney, Mitchell Garabedian. The lawsuits demand $20 million for each victim. The plaintiffs of the new lawsuits are ages 18 through 27, and they were abused from 2000 to 2008 at ages 10 to 20, according to Garabedian. Some were abused by Perlitz repeatedly, he added. Garabedian is also investigating 30 other victims. In addition to Fairfield, other defendants include Society of Jesus of New England and Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. Priest tells of his ‘shock’ at arrest
UNITED KINGDOM
Lancashire Evening Post A senior priest has told a court of the moment he was arrested by police probing allegations of sexual assault made against him. Stephen Shield, 53, was due to officiate at a funeral service two hours after his arrest. He denies three counts of indecent assault against a man - who had dreams of joining the priesthood - more than two decades ago. Shield trained in Rome and spent some time at English Martyrs Church in Garstang Road, Preston, where two of the offences were alleged to have taken place. Dressed in a blue jumper and shirt, he took to the witness stand at Preston Crown Court to be cross examined at his trial. He said: “I was supposed to conduct a funeral at 9.30am that morning. I was lying in bed going through the last few words of the service in my head. “I was concerned about the family that I knew very well having another priest.” Prison push for child sex abuse...
AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun [with video] Prison push for child sex abuse lies follows Victorian Parliamentary inquiry into institutional failures MATT JOHNSTON, JAMES CAMPBELL HERALD SUN NOVEMBER 13, 2013 NEW laws to jail fiends who groom children to molest, and church leaders who cover it up, will be introduced next year. The reforms follow Wednesday's tabling in State Parliament of a historic report on child abuse, which revealed police were investigating 135 new cases. Tears flowed as victims stood in the rain to lend their voices in support of the report. The report slammed leaders of churches and non-government organisations that failed vulnerable children during decades of "betrayal beyond comprehension". Tony Abbott defends George Pell after criticism from child abuse inquiry
AUSTRALIA
The Guardian (UK) Katharine Murphy deputy political editor theguardian.com, Wednesday 13 November 2013 The prime minister has gone in to bat for his friend, the leader of the Catholic church in Australia, George Pell, a man who was “not perfect” but was nonetheless “a fine human being, a great churchman”. Tony Abbott was asked to comment on a report that followed an inquiry in Victoria, which was highly critical of Pell, his attitudes to the problems evidenced in comments before the inquiry and the institutional failures of the Catholic church in stopping child abuse. The report, tabled on Wednesday in the Victorian parliament, recommended a broad range of actions to strengthen protections for victims, as well as additional child protection measures. The prime minister is close to Pell. Abbott said on Thursday his understanding was that Pell was the first “senior cleric who took this issue seriously”. “Is he perfect? No,” Abbott told 3AW on Thursday morning . “He is in my judgment a fine human being, a great churchman. Scathing report service to church: priest
AUSTRALIA
9 News A report that savages the Catholic Church's response to child sex abuse is doing the institution a "great service", a priest says. Father Kevin Dillon said the Victorian parliamentary inquiry's findings on institutional responses to child sex abuse is the wake-up call the church needed. "Things have been so out of alignment in terms of what the church's position has been," Fr Dillon told AAP on Thursday. "It's taken something as far-reaching and honest as this to tell the church from the perspective of the people of Victoria that `you have done great damage, you are responsible for it and you are obliged to fix it as much as that's possibly able to be accomplished'." The report is scathing of the church's leadership before the 1990s, saying child abuse was trivialised and their protection of pedophiles meant abuse happened when it could have been avoided. Catholic church welcomes child abuse report but defends its patch
AUSTRALIA
The Guardian (UK) David Marr theguardian.com, Wednesday 13 November 2013 The Catholic church will not go quietly. True, the archbishops of both Melbourne and Sydney have welcomed the Victorian report into clerical sex abuse. But they signalled at the same time that despite everything the church is still fighting to defend its patch. Tears and ovations greeted the tabling of the report in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. “The words from the politicians just rang in my heart,” Chrissie Foster told Guardian Australia. “There they were saying what I’d wanted to say for so long and they have the power to change things. It was astounding.” The Fosters’ two daughters were raped by their parish priest. One killed herself. The other is now permanently disabled. The implacable dignity and determination of the Fosters is one reason we were all in the council chamber on Wednesday morning: victims, advocates and journalists in the galleries above. Politicians below. “We need to have the government behind us,” said Foster, “because we have been at the mercy of another power, the Catholic church which has been heartless and relentless. Suddenly there is another power that is fighting for us. It was wonderful.” Vic report into abuse 'dream come true'
AUSTRALIA
9 News A Victorian parliamentary report recommending the Catholic Church be immediately made liable for child sex abuse has been welcomed as a "dream come true" by a victims group. Nicky Davis of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said she never thought the issue would be taken seriously or that anything meaningful would be done. "We're thrilled," she told AAP on Thursday. "They've got to the bottom of the issue and they haven't held back from taking on what needs to be done." She described the 15 major recommendations made in the report as "comprehensive", "innovative" and "groundbreaking". Aside from compensating victims and making those who had long avoided responsibility accountable, implementing laws and standards suggested by the committee would encourage more people to report abuse, Ms Davis said. EDITORIAL: Exposing church excuses
AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald FOR decades, allegations of sexual abuse by clergy in Australia were handled in a piecemeal way. Churches and institutions involved seemed able to deflect criticism, and law enforcers and politicians appeared to struggle with the issues. Victims and their advocates were told matters were being fixed ‘‘in house’’, but somehow they weren’t. At times it seemed as if some institutions were waging a war of attrition against their accusers, hunkered behind ancient practices that they believed entitled them to hide dreadful crimes. Some shifted paedophiles from place to place, ducking and weaving and berating from the pulpit any who dared call their bluff. And then, suddenly, the dam broke. The defences of church administrators fell away, exposed as the shams they always were. Child Sex Abuse Victim Who Fights Against Sex Abuse Coverups...
AUSTRALIA
Failed Messiah Child Sex Abuse Victim Who Fights Against Sex Abuse Coverups Speaks At National Rally Against Abuse "On behalf of many victims and survivors of child sexual abuse within Jewish institutions, I would like to acknowledge and thank the Victorian Government for launching this Inquiry. With today’s publication of the Inquiry’s report, we can of course celebrate a milestone in a long journey but we should also reflect on the significant work that still lies ahead.…" Speech at Rally of Hope Victorian Parliament House Wednesday 13 November 2013 Tzedek Founder & CEO Manny Waks Thank you to In Good Faith and Associates for initiating this rally, and for the opportunity to address you all here today. On behalf of many victims and survivors of child sexual abuse within Jewish institutions, I would like to acknowledge and thank the Victorian Government for launching this Inquiry. With today’s publication of the Inquiry’s report, we can of course celebrate a milestone in a long journey but we should also reflect on the significant work that still lies ahead. This Inquiry was the catalyst for the establishment of Tzedek (“Justice” in Hebrew), the only organisation within the Australian Jewish community that is dedicated to the issue of child sexual abuse. Salavation Army in Australia ''ashamed'' and ''sorry'' for past brutal abuse of children
AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald November 14, 2013 Barney Zwartz Religion editor, The Age. The Salvation Army says it is ashamed and deeply sorry for the brutal abuse suffered by many children in its care, following the release of an eagerly awaited report on clergy child sex abuse. The report, launched in the Victorian Parliament on Wednesday, also recommends sweeping changes to laws behind which the Catholic Church has sheltered, and accuses its leaders of trivialising the problem as a ''short-term embarrassment''. Inquiry chairwoman Georgie Crozier spoke of ''a betrayal beyond comprehension'' and children suffering ''unimaginable harm''. She said the inquiry had referred 135 previously unreported claims of child sex abuse to the police. The report, Betrayal of Trust, wants to establish a new crime when people in authority knowingly put a child a risk. It wants to make it a crime to leave a child at risk or not report abuse, including for clergy, but does not recommend ending the exemption for the confessional. Grooming a child or parents should be a crime, child abuse should be excluded from the statute of limitations, and the present church systems of dealing with victims in-house should be replaced by an independent authority funded by the churches, the report says. Vindication for victims as report into child sex abuse hailed
AUSTRALIA
The Standard By PETER COLLINS and CLARE QUIRK Nov. 14, 2013 A HISTORIC Victorian parliamentary report on a child sex abuse inquiry has been welcomed across the south-west, where dozens of victims still live with their trauma. The Betrayal of Trust report released yesterday makes 15 key recommendations to prevent a reoccurrence of the widespread abuses over several decades within the Catholic Church and other religious and secular organisations. Warrnambool detective Colin Ryan, who was involved in investigating three Catholic clergy, described the report as a “very positive step”. “I would think it would give a lot of victims a lot of comfort,” he told The Standard. “The damage that is done by these sexual predators cannot be overstated.” Surge in child abuse reports
AUSTRALIA
The West Australian Angela Pownall, The West Australian November 14, 2013 A national public inquiry will return to Perth for the seventh time next month to hear about child sex abuse in Australian institutions as demand from abuse victims to tell their stories snowballs. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse held private hearings in Perth last week and plans to return early next year. Justice Paul McClellan, commission chairman, has revealed the massive scale of the abuse allegations being reported to the inquiry a year after it was set up by the Federal Government. It comes as Victoria's child abuse parliamentary inquiry, which has heard from 450 victims, tabled its report yesterday and called for legal changes, including making it a crime to conceal or fail to report child abuse offences. Catholic Church backs sex abuse compensation scheme
AUSTRALIA
The Age November 14, 2013 Jane Lee Legal Affairs Reporter for The Age The Catholic Church says it wants to fund an unlimited national compensation scheme for child sexual abuse victims. The church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council – a national mouthpiece established after the royal commission was announced – issued a statement on Thursday, saying that it would ask the attorneys-general of the federal, state and territory governments to begin working on the scheme. The move comes a day after a state committee tabled its Betrayal of Trust report, the result of an 18-month inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other organisations. Georgie Crozier, the chairwoman of the inquiry's committee, delivered the report to parliament with a slew of stinging rebukes of the Catholic Church's leaders, whom she accused of trivialising the problem of child abuse as a "short-term embarrassment". The report recommended an independent redress scheme run by the government but paid for by non-government organisations, to replace the Catholic Church's internal systems for dealing with victims - called Melbourne Response and its national equivalent Towards Healing - which victims criticised throughout the inquiry as lacking transparency. Govt to act quickly on abuse report
AUSTRALIA
Sky News The Victorian government says it will not wait to act on a child sex abuse report that is scathing of the Catholic Church and recommends widespread legislative reform. The government has six months to consider the recommendations of the inquiry into child sex abuse which include a call for concealing child abuse offences to be made a crime. But Premier Denis Napthine said the government would introduce changes to the law in parliament early next year. 'The government will not wait to act on this report,' Dr Napthine said. 'Criminal abuse of children represents a departure of the gravest kind from the standards of decency fundamental to any civilised society.' Pell first to act on abuse: Abbott
AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun AAP PRIME Minister Tony Abbott says Cardinal George Pell does bear some responsibility for the errors of the Catholic Church, but in the same breath defended the senior Catholic's response to child sex abuse. A landmark Victorian report savaged the church's handling of abuse allegations and said Cardinal Pell had shown a reluctance to acknowledge and accept responsibility for its institutional failures. Mr Abbott, who has not read the report, said the Catholic Church was not the only institution that didn't handle the issue well and Cardinal Pell had been the first senior cleric to act on allegations. "I understand that these things probably did happen but I suspect it wasn't just the church that didn't handle these things well," Mr Abbott told Fairfax Radio. He said Cardinal Pell was not perfect but he was a "fine human being" and a "great churchman". THE ROYAL COMMISSION INTO CHILD ABUSE CONTINUES; CATHOLIC CHURCH IMPLICATED
AUSTRALIA
Pedestrian TV November 14, 2013 After years of pressure to investigate child abuse, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is finally underway; thus begins the long process of healing for many victims. The Commissioners have been appointed for three years with their goal being to “expose the response of the institution in which the abuse occurred and identify the lessons which can be learned from that response in an endeavour to ensure that abuse does not happen again in any institution” as told by the Chair of the Commission, the Hon. Justice Peter McClellan, in his opening address. Two days ago the Victorian Parliament released an inquiry, into the handling of child abuse by religious and other organisations, entitled ‘Betrayal of Trust’. The inquiry's key recommendations include: . MANDATORY reporting of child sex abuse; . EXCLUDING organisations such as the Catholic Church from any civil action statute of limitations; . HAVING alternative avenues of justice for individuals who don't wish to take legal action; . GREATER monitoring of organisations and enhancement of prevention systems. The inquiry states that government groups, including the Salvation Army and the Catholic Church, have previously failed to adequately deal with systematic child abuse and that it was "beyond dispute that some trusted organisations made a deliberate choice not to follow processes for reporting and responding to allegations of criminal child abuse". It went on to say that "There has been been a substantial body of credible evidence presented to the inquiry and ultimately concessions made by senior representatives of religious bodies, including the Catholic Church, that they had taken steps with the direct objective of concealing wrongdoing." 'Complicated but possible' to amend legal standing of Catholic Church
AUSTRALIA
ABC News Lawyers are today strongly backing one of the key recommendations of the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the handling of child abuse cases that laws be changed to allow victims to sue the Catholic Church. The recommendation says religious institutions which receive government funding or tax exemptions must be required to be incorporated. The recommendation is expected to be challenged by the Church. Transcript ELEANOR HALL: Lawyers and survivors of child abuse are today strongly backing one of the key recommendations of the Victorian Report into Child Sexual Abuse, that laws be changed to allow the Catholic Church to be sued. The recommendation says religious institutions which receive government funding or tax exemptions, should be required to be incorporated. It's a powerful recommendation and one which many expect the Catholic Church to fight. In Melbourne, Alison Caldwell reports. ALISON CALDWELL: In its report to Parliament, the Victorian Committee strongly condemns the legal standing of the Catholic Church, upheld by politicians for decades. EXCERPT FROM REPORT (voiceover): There is no doubt that the unincorporated structure of the Catholic Church has not only prevented victims of criminal child abuse from bringing legal claims against the Catholic Church as an entity. It has also been exploited by the Catholic Church to avoid financial liability. Family anger over sex abuse sentence
NEW ZEALAND
NZ City The family of one of the victims of a Kaitaia business leader who sexually abused boys say his jail sentence is a "joke". Former senior member of the Mormon Church Daniel Taylor, 35, was sentenced to five years and seven months' jail for nine counts of sexual offences against boys aged between 11 and 16 that he pleaded guilty to in September. A number of the charges were representative. In the High Court at Whangarei on Thursday, Justice Peter Woodhouse imposed a minimum non-parole period of two years and 10 months on Roberts. It provoked disappointment from victims and their families. Charles Hohaia, Te Waka Whaanui director and a counsellor, says families of the victims he talked to were disappointed by the sentence given that victims would need to live with what had happened to them for the rest of their lives. Tony Abbott defends Cardinal Pell's role in church handling of abuse
AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald November 14, 2013 Dan Harrison, Jane Lee Prime Minister Tony Abbott has defended Cardinal George Pell's role in the Catholic Church's handling of child sex abuse cases, saying he deserved credit for being the first senior churchman to act. Interviewed on Fairfax radio on Thursday following the release of a Victorian parliamentary report into institutional sex abuse, Mr Abbott said the church hadn't handled the issue well, but defended Cardinal Pell. “The only thing I'd say … is that my understanding is that the first senior cleric who took this issue very seriously was in fact Cardinal Pell," he said. Mr Abbott said it was well known that he had a lot of time for Cardinal Pell. "Does that mean that he is perfect? No. Does that mean that he doesn't bear some responsibility for the errors of the church? Of course not," he said. Sex abuse caregiver handed 'joke' sentence - parent
NEW ZEALAND
TVNZ [with video] A Far North caregiver who admitted sexually abusing young boys could be out of jail in less than three years. Daniel Taylor, 34, has been sentenced to five years and seven months behind bars but will be eligible for parole in half that time. Family members of the victims said the jail term is not long enough, with one describing the sentence as a joke. Taylor was a caregiver for Child, Youth and Family. One of his victims told the court the offending against him made him question his sexuality, while another contemplated taking his own life. A family spokesperson said the families are very disappointed because as a church leader and businessman Taylor was given a lot of trust and had a lot of power. Victims question church inaction
AUSTRALIA
7 News MIKE HEDGE - November 14, 2013 Every kid in the school knew what was going on, and many had scars to show for it. But until this week the victims of men like the Christian Brothers Robert Best and Edward Dowlan struggled with the thought that no one really believed them. Thanks to the Victorian parliamentary committee that conducted Australia's most far-reaching investigation into child sexual abuse in religious organisations, men like "Stephen", who is now in his 40s, have a chance. Stephen went to school at St Patricks in Ballarat, a town where there once lived some of the most despicable men this country has known. Best and Dowlan have been convicted and another pedophile Christian Brother, Gerald Fitzgerald, is dead, Father Paul Ryan has been jailed and there are others who can't be named. All of them preyed viciously and habitually on children they had vowed to protect. Sex abuse victims urged to come forward
NEW ZEALAND
Newstalk ZB By: Carla Penman, | Upper North Island News | Thursday November 14 2013 18:59 Northland police are calling for any further victims of sexual abuse to come forward, following today's sentencing of Daniel Taylor at the High Court in Whangarei. The former Child Youth and Family caregiver and church elder was sentenced to five years and seven months in jail for preying on boys. Brother backs call for church to be liable
AUSTRALIA
9 News A leader of a Catholic order has backed a call to make the church a legal entity that can be sued. Christian Brothers deputy province leader Brother Julian McDonald said the recommendations of Victoria's parliamentary inquiry on child sex abuse were sound and constructive and he supported them all. Among the major changes called for by the report are reforms that would enable churches to be sued and make them liable for priests and teachers who commit abuse. Br McDonald, who gave evidence to the inquiry, said the recommendations were sound. "I'd hope that parliament will accept them so that we can move forward," Br McDonald said. "There's none that I would reject out of hand at all." All states urged to act on Vic report
AUSTRALIA
Courier Mail BY GENEVIEVE GANNON AAP NOVEMBER 14, 2013 ALL Australian states are being urged to change laws preventing the Catholic Church from being sued and to consider a compensation fund for victims of child sex abuse. A peak legal group says every government should implement a Victorian inquiry's recommended reforms to make the Catholic Church immediately liable for child sex abuse. The church itself is leading a call for the establishment of a national compensation scheme, which it will partially fund. The parliamentary report, tabled on Wednesday, made a number of recommendations, including a call to remove the barriers that prevent victims from suing the Catholic Church. Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) spokesman Andrew Morrison said there had been enough delays. The Past's Price
TUCSON (AZ)
Tucson Weekly by Mari Herreras @tucsonazmari When Dove of Peace Lutheran Church parishioners walked out of last Sunday's service, they were greeted by two television news crews and a newspaper reporter asking about a woman from a California-based sex abuse survivors' organization passing out flyers about their music minister when they arrived for church that morning. On Thursday, Nov. 7, Joelle Casteix, volunteer western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, sent out a press release that she and other SNAP volunteers would be outside the 665 W. Roller Coaster Road church holding signs and childhood photos, and handing out flyers to warn church members that their music minister Eric Holtan was convicted in 2000 of first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct; and that they should demand his removal and talk to their kids. Dove of Peace member Brad Schwab told the Tucson Weekly that it's been 13 years since Holtan pled guilty and he only has two years left on his 15-year probation. Another church member Nancy Day chimed in that many in the congregation knew about Holtan's past and it was understood that Holtan's probation officer checked in with the church pastor regularly. Day added that Holtan does not work with children in the church in his duties as music minister. "He directs the adult choir," she said, addressing the terms of Holtan's probation in which he is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with underage females. Abbott's response to child sexual abuse by clergy angers victims
AUSTRALIA
The Age November 15, 2013 Barney Zwartz Religion editor, The Age. Prime Minister Tony Abbott's support for Cardinal George Pell over child sex abuse is inappropriate and factually wrong, victims say. This new controversy came as the Speaker of the Victorian Parliament, Ken Smith, accused the former Melbourne vicar-general, Gerald Cudmore, of committing perjury in evidence he gave to a parliamentary inquiry in 1993. Mr Smith said highly placed Catholics stifled his inquiry's report. Mr Abbott told Fairfax Radio the former Catholic archbishop of Melbourne was the first senior cleric to take sexual abuse by clergy seriously. Asked whether Cardinal Pell, now Archbishop of Sydney, carried any responsibility for the failures described by the report of the Victorian inquiry into the church's handling of child sexual abuse, Mr Abbott said he hadn't read it. ''As is pretty well known, I have a lot of time for George Pell … my understanding is that the first senior cleric who took this issue very seriously was in fact Cardinal Pell.'' Teen testifies against pastor in sex case
OKLAHOMA
The Lawton Constitution Written by Malinda Rust Thursday, 14 November 2013 A local pastor accused of taking minors from a former Department of Human Services contracted group home to perform sexual acts in front of them at his church was bound over for trial Wednesday. Bobby Burrell, 28, appeared relaxed, even chewing gum, alongside his defense attorney, Jason Lowe, during his preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon. Burrell was charged in August with one count of child sexual abuse following nearly a year of investigation into allegations of misconduct at the Sequoyah Group Home, 824 SE 2nd, and released on a $20,000 bond. Burrell, who was employed as a counselor at the home, is accused of masturbating in front of teenage boys who were housed at the center after he escorted them to One More Soul Outreach Ministry, 1010 SW McKinley, under the guise of performing work at the church. Court documents allege that some staff members knew of the allegations but didn't report them to authorities. The incident for which Burrell is charged stems from one encounter with a 16-year-old that is alleged to have occurred in July 2012. The victim from the alleged incident testified Wednesday with outstanding poise, despite the defense's attempts to attack the young man's credibility. Archbishop apologises for Catholic Church's handling of sexual abuse
AUSTRALIA
ABC News [with video] Posted Wed 13 Nov 2013 The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Dennis Hart has apologised for the church's treatment of child sexual abuse cases. Transcript EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: The Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, joined me just a short time ago. Archbishop Hart, thanks very much for being there for us. DENIS HART, ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE: Thank you, Emma. EMMA ALBERICI: Now Premier Napthine today said the Catholic Church should hang its head in shame. Do you now accept that the level of abuse in your church is out of proportion with any other religious organisation in this country? DENIS HART: I think today has been highly significant. We welcome the report and we are committed to facing the terrible truth that victims have suffered beyond all proportion and it is very high in the Catholic Church and that I find shameful and shocking. EMMA ALBERICI: You said today that your church leaders had made terrible mistakes. Given the strong language in today's report regarding Cardinal Pell's role, what will you be recommending to the Vatican as far as a response goes? DENIS HART: I believe that our response has to be considered in the light of the whole picture. Cardinal Pell introduced the Melbourne response, which was the first attempt to do something about sexual abuse and to care for victims. I took that over when I was Archbishop and I believe that it really made significant steps forward in addressing this awful blight. Now we come to a new stage and we do have to remember that Cardinal Pell has been part of that progress to this point of time. There's now a new stage when we, the Church, and the community can really move forward together and to be sure that the awful suffering is being addressed, that care is being provided for victims, ease of redress and appropriate reporting mechanisms so that we will not have abuse again in Victoria. More people have reported priest sex abuse, St. Paul police say
MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press By Richard Chin rchin@pioneerpress.com POSTED: 11/13/2013 1 St. Paul police said Wednesday that some people have responded to a recent request for victims of sexual abuse by priests to report their experiences to police. "We obviously have made calls for folks to come forward, for victims to come forward," said police spokesman Howie Padilla. "Some folks have courageously, bravely come forward to help tell their stories. We're looking into those." At a news conference Oct. 17, St. Paul police appealed to victims to contact them in the wake of the reopening of an investigation of a child pornography case involving a former Hugo cleric. Earlier, on Oct. 8, police said they were again investigating allegations that the Rev. Jonathan Shelley possessed child pornography on a computer he owned in 2004. Shelley denied the allegation, and the case was closed Sept. 29 after discs turned over to police by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis contained only adult porn. But a few days later, a Hugo parishioner, who later obtained Shelley's computer, turned over files to police that he said he had copied from the device's hard drive. 'I apologise again for failures'
AUSTRALIA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn 14 November 2013 With the royal commission’s examination of the Catholic Church’s response to child sexual abuse imminent, Archbishop Denis Hart has welcomed the recommendations of a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into the issues. Archbishop Hart, head of both the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the Melbourne Archdiocese, said it was hoped the inquiry and its recommendations “will assist the healing of those who have been abused”. He said the recommendations covered five important areas: changes to the criminal law; easier access to the civil justice system; an independent, alternative avenue for justice; greater independent monitoring and scrutiny of organisations; and further improvements to prevention systems and processes. “The committee’s report is rightly called Betrayal of Trust. I have spoken before about this betrayal and the irreparable damage it has caused. It is the worst betrayal of trust in my lifetime in the Catholic Church,” Archbishop Hart said. “As the inquiry heard, we were far too slow to address the abuse, or even to accept that it was taking place. I fully acknowledge that leaders in the Church made terrible mistakes. These are indefensible. We know that the long-term suffering of victims and their families continues. Police sift through new evidence of alleged sex abuse by Catholic priests
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio by Laura Yuen, Minnesota Public Radio November 13, 2013 ST. PAUL, Minn. — Police investigators are sifting through new evidence coming from people who say they were sexually abused by Catholic priests. St. Paul Police spokesman Howie Padilla said since the department issued a call for victims to come forward four weeks ago, several people have responded. "Some folks have courageously, bravely come forward to tell their stories," Padilla said. "We're looking into those." Police urged the public to contact investigators after they re-opened their investigation into the Rev. Jonathan Shelley and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The call for help came after MPR News reported that the archdiocese discovered pornography on Shelley's computer in 2004 -- images that the archdiocese's internal investigation concluded were "borderline illegal." Police wouldn't say how many people came forward to report abuse. But Padilla said the victim accounts are providing new evidence for investigators. Family Sues Archdiocese In Sex Abuse Scandal
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
My Fox Philly CENTER CITY - The family of an alleged sexual abuse survivor is filing suit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Sean McIlmail's family filed charges against father Robert Brennan last September, but prosecutors dropped them after McIlmail died of a drug overdose in October. The family claims the Archdiocese knew of the numerous sex abuse allegations against Brennan and is demanding justice for Sean. Finger-waggers and life lessons, Tucson style.
TUCSON (AZ)
The Worthy Adversary Posted by Joelle Casteix on November 13, 2013 I could tell exactly what kind of person she was when she started wagging her finger at me. She was mean. I hate finger-waggers. My dearly departed cat had the perfect reaction: If I ever wagged a finger at him, he’d attack (playfully, of course. But it was still an attack). Even my sister, as a super-wise 10-year-old, told me at age five, “You may be pointing one finger at me, but you’re pointing three fingers at yourself.” Indeed. It was last Sunday and I was standing outside of Dove of Peace Lutheran Church in Tucson. I had recently learned that their choir director Eric Holtan is a convicted child sex offender. He is possibly in violation of his probation—he is not registered anywhere, as ordered by the courts. I was there to talk to parishioners about the news, tell them how to report abuse (by Holtan or anyone else), and show them safe ways to talk to their kids about abuse. I also wanted to talk to church leaders, who had not responded to my emails and phone calls, to make sure that men like Holtan are not hired into positions of power in this church or any other. I met a lovely family and a few nice parishioners who were anxious to talk. One women told me that her daughter had been molested as a child by a choir director. We hugged, sharing our mutual loss. I also learned that most of the families at the church only learned about Holtan’s conviction the day before, when they received a letter from the pastor in anticipation of my visit. If I had never raised the issue, would church members still be in the dark? There were critics, too. There was the man who simply told me, “Eric is my friend. I don’t care what you say.” He was followed by people who politely declined to talk to me, saying that they knew and North Coast Children's Home under Royal Commission spotlight
AUSTRALIA
Daily Examiner Jessica Grewal 14th Nov 2013 THE treatment of abuse victims at the North Coast Children's Home will be the focus of public inquiry headed by the Royal Commission in Sydney next week. Earlier this year, whistleblower Richard Campion told the Royal Commission into institutional child abuse, he and about 22 others had endured a decade of physical and sexual abuse at the home, which was run by the Church of England at Lismore. For years Mr Campion wrote open letters to the Anglican Church detailing the abuse children had been subjected to but it wasn't until May this year that the church recognised and apologised for the way it had handled the allegations. The public hearings will look into the response of the Anglican Diocese of Grafton to claims of child sexual abuse at the home and the policies adopted and applied by the diocese for handling such claims. Crown withdraws sex assault charges against Pembroke priest
CANADA
Ottawa Citizen BY MEGHAN HURLEY, OTTAWA CITIZEN NOVEMBER 13, 2013 OTTAWA — The charges against a 72-year-old Pembroke priest accused of a historic sexual assault were withdrawn in court on Tuesday. Father Howard Chabot was charged in July with sexual assaulting a boy and gross indecency after allegations were made to police about an 1985 incident. Chabot’s lawyer, Mark Huckabone, said Wednesday the charges were withdrawn after Crown attorney Jason Nicol conceded there was no reasonable prospect of conviction. Chabot was a priest at Holy Name Parish in Pembroke, but he had also worked as a chaplain with the police force for 20 years. Bruce Pappin, a spokesman for the Pembroke diocese, said in July that Chabot was ordained as a priest in 1968. The Heron's Nest: The Battle of O'Hara
PENNSYLVANIA
Daily Times By Phil Heron, Delaware County Daily Times POSTED: 11/13/13 PHIL HERON This one is going to get ugly. Marie Rogai is out as the principal at Cardinal O’Hara High School. But she has no intention of going quietly. After being forced out after three years at the helm of the massive archdiocesan high school on Sproul Road in Springfield on Monday, Rogai decided to fire back. The she hired a lawyer. Uh-oh. Not only is Rogai, who also taught advanced placement Spanish classes at the school, saying she was given no reason for her termination, she is alleging that she was the victim of unwanted advances from a male member of the school advisory board who voted her out. O’Hara Principal Fired, Says She Fended Off Harassment
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Weekly BY JOEL MATHIS | NOVEMBER 13, 2013 The Inquirer reports: “The principal of Cardinal O’Hara High School claims that she was fired this week because she rebuffed advances from a prominent member of the school community, but the Archdiocese of Philadelphia says she lost her job because of poor leadership and vision.” Marie Rogai, who became the school’s first female principal in 2010, says she “repeatedly” fended off physical contact from an unnamed, prominent volunteer in the school community. Archdiocese officials said they were unaware of those allegations, and would investigate. Rogai said, in an open letter to parents, that the only direct reasons she was given for dismissal “were that she was ‘too direct’ and did not smile enough.” Altar Boy's Family Sues Church in Sex Abuse Case
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NBC 10 [with video] The Philadelphia family says their son would not have died if the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had heeded complaints. Wednesday, Nov 13, 2013 Relatives of an alleged priest-abuse victim who died of a drug overdose say the man would still be alive if the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had heeded complaints about the cleric. Attorneys for the family of Sean McIlmail announced a wrongful death lawsuit against Roman Catholic church officials on Wednesday. They say the archdiocese moved the Rev. Robert L. Brennan from parish to parish, allowing him to prey on children. McIlmail claimed Brennan abused him for years, beginning at age 11. Prosecutors filed charges in September against Brennan based on McIlmail's allegations. Bishops’ Planned Statement on Pornography — Come again?
UNITED STATES
National Survivor Advocates Coalition Editorial We cannot let a planned United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) formal statement put into motion at the Bishops meeting underway this week in Baltimore to pass into the world of drafting, revision, and adoption without noting the gall of it. The Bishops are going to draft a statement on pornography. [US Conference of Catholic Bishops] Bishop Richard J. Malone, chair-elect of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, the committee that will draft the document had this to say about it, “The number of men, women, and children who have been harmed by pornography use is not negligible, and we have an opportunity to offer healing and hope to those who have been wounded.” The statement, the USCCB press release says, “will be pastoral in nature and will emphasize the effects of pornography on marriages and families, while attending to all those harmed by pornography use and addiction.” Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City- St. Joseph Missouri remains a sitting bishop with jurisdiction after being convicted of failure to report, as a mandatory reporter in Missouri, a priest of the diocese, Shawn Ratigan, who is now serving a 50 year sentence in federal prison on a child pornography conviction. Former Lawrence pastor accused of abuse ion Maryland
LAWRENCE (MA)
The Eagle-Tribune By Yadira Betances ybetances@eagletribune.com LAWRENCE — The Rev. Michael Kolodziej, former pastor of Holy Trinity Parish has been suspended from public ministry and cannot serve as a priest after being accused of sexually abusing a minor at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore. A former student alleges he was abused on several occasions while wrestling between 1975 to 1979 when Kolodziej taught at the school, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Upon learning of the allegations, the police were informed and the school, the Franciscan Order, and the archdiocese are fully cooperating with the authorities, the release said. The three religious organizations do not know of any other misconduct against the priest while he was at Archbishop Curley, according to the release. Hasidic Rabbi On The Run From The Law Holes Up In Zimbabwe
ZIMBABWE
Failed Messiah Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com After abruptly leaving Morocco last week, Rabbi Eliezer Berland has reportedly relocated to Zimbabwe. Berland lived in Morocco for seven months and Zurich and Miami for several months before that after fleeing Israel pending arrest for allegedly sexually abusing female followers, some of who were allegedly minors at the time the abuse took place. Although Moroccan and Israeli media reports and reports on FailedMessiah.com said Berland was expelled from Morocco by the country’s king immediately after the king read a local media report detailing Berland’s alleged crimes, Moroccan media is now reporting that the king has now said that Berland is welcome back in Morocco at any time. Berland was allegedly forced to leave Morocco only because of the growing number of hasidim who followed him there and were trying to set up a community. A follower has reportedly rented a private home in Zimbabwe for Berland to use. It is unclear how many hasidim are with him. The Victorian State Parliamentary Enquiry Report (Or: Better Than We Thought Possible)
AUSTRALIA
lewisblayse.net The Victorian state Parliamentary Enquiry into child sexual abuse by clergy has presented its 800 page report to the Victorian Parliament. It is entitled “Betrayal of Trust”. It contains recommendations hoped for, but not necessarily expected, to control the excesses of religious organisations. While the report and recommendations apply only to the state of Victoria, it is anticipated that the reforms will be adopted by other states, and will be revisited by the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. National legislation is likely, eventually, for consistency of approach and to encompass crimes which cross state borders. The bi-partisan inquiry heard from more than 450 victims over a 12 month period, and its report names the Catholic Church and the Salvation Army as the main culprits. However, it notes that the Catholic Church was responsible for six times as many abuse cases as all of the other churches combined. It has compiled 604 complaint files, but notes that the number of victims, in Victoria State alone, runs into the thousands. It has referred 135 previously-unreported claims of child sex abuse to the police Sano Taskforce, set up to investigate institutionalized child abuse. More such referrals are expected to be made. Overall, it received 578 submissions and held 162 hearings, of which 56 were private, including in the cities of Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong. As a result, the report states that the churches “stand condemned”. The Victorian enquiry is one of about 80 enquiries over recent years, so that it is about time for actions as well as enquiries. The main recommendations from the report are as follows: 1. Compulsory reporting to police - Legislative amendments to ensure that a person who fails to report, or conceals, child abuse will be guilty of an offence. At present, under section 326 of Victoria’s Crimes Act, it must be proved that a person who conceals a serious indictable offence “received a benefit” and the committee recommends that this “element of ‘gain’ should be removed”. At present, this is what has let clergy off the hook, even where a cover-up has been firmly established. The recommendation is in conflict with the Catholic Church’s stance on the “inviolability of the confessional”. 2. New child endangerment offence - Making it a criminal offence for people in authority to knowingly put a child at risk, or fail to remove them from a known risk. This applies to the practice of transferring offenders to new parishes or schools, where new victims are often produced. It thus puts the onus on the official who engages in this practice. The recommendation refers to the situation in which “a person gives responsibility to another for the care of children and is aware there is a risk of harm to those children and who fails to take reasonable steps to protect them from that risk”. There will no doubt be debate about what being “aware there is a risk of harm” means and how “failing to take reasonable steps” is actually defined. 3.A new grooming offence - Creation of a separate criminal offence extending beyond current grooming laws to make it an offence to groom a child, their parents or others with the intention of committing a sexual offence against the child (regardless of whether the sexual offence occurs). A problem with this may be that it would be able to be challenged by smart lawyers for being too vague a definition. Parliament would have to be very specific, as to what constitutes “grooming”, in its legislation here to avoid such problems. 4. Address legal entity of non-government organisations - Require non-government organisations to be incorporated and adequately insured. This is a critical recommendation for the ability of victims to sue churches, and removes the appalling “Ellis Defence” used in the past by Cardinal George Pell to avoid paying compensation (see previous posting). It also removes the practice of setting up trusts for church money which are immune from the courts, for example the bogus “cemetery maintenance trusts” (see previous posting). The provision for compulsory insurance removes the defence of “yes, but we’ll just declare bankruptcy”. In the absence of a clear pathway to the courts, in the past, victims have had to merely accept the church’s, pathetic, settlements. Charges dropped against priest
CANADA
The Daily Observer PEMBROKE - Charges against a former Pembroke priest have been dropped. The Crown formally withdrew two charges against Father Howard Chabot on Tuesday in a Pembroke provincial court. Crown attorney Jason Nicol told the court the charges were being withdrawn because there was “no reasonable cause for conviction.” Justice Robert Selkirk consented to the Crown's request. Chabot, 73, had been arrested July 29 and charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of gross indecency. He had been represented by defense counsel Mark Huckabone. TV report: Archbishop Nienstedt, others under criminal investigation
MINNESOTA
MinnPost By Brian Lambert At KSTP-TV, Jay Kolls is reporting: “Sources tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS officials at the Archdiocese are part of a criminal investigation by St. Paul Police, including Archbishop John Nienstedt and former Vicar-General Father Peter Laird. We are told the investigation, in part, involves possible child pornography on a computer used by former priest John Shelley. St. Paul Police closed their case into the child pornography when they could not find enough evidence to charge Shelley. But, sources tell KSTP, police are looking at ‘everything’ connected to the case, including possible obstruction of justice, failure to report possible sexual abuse as required by the state's mandatory reporting statute and possible child endangerment.” Family of Priest Accuser Sues Philadelphia Archdiocese Over Young Man’s Death
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly By Mark Abrams PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The family of a Willow Grove, Pa. man who died of an accidental drug overdose a month ago (see related story) — after cooperating with authorities in bringing charges in a clergy sex abuse case — has filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the young man’s alleged abuser. Attorneys for the family of 26-year-old Sean McIlmail insist it’s not about the money, but the search for truth and justice for all victims of clergy sex abuse in the archdiocese. Sean’s mother, Deborah, says the family is still trying to cope with the loss. “Sean appeared good on the outside,” she said today, “but on the inside, he didn’t believe in himself. The unspeakable, disgusting horrors that had happened to Sean by Father Robert L. Brennan would haunt Sean forever.” |
No comments:
Post a Comment