ABUSE TRACKER

VATICAN CITY
Yahoo! News

By Philip Pullella | Reuters

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis has indicated for the first time that he may make changes to the Vatican’s scandal-ridden bank as part of a broad review of the Holy See’s troubled administration.

Before Francis was elected last month, many of the cardinals who went on to choose him expressed concern about the harm done to the Church’s image by three decades of scandals at the bank, which Italian magistrates are now investigating for money laundering.

A report last year by Moneyval, a European anti-money laundering body, found that the bank, officially the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), had failed to meet some of its standards on fighting financial crimes, and called for increased oversight.

In an impromptu sermon at a Mass for Vatican employees including staff from the bank, the pope said they should concentrate on the true mission of the Church and that Vatican departments were needed “only up to a certain point”.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider

The Pope’s message to Vatican bank employees is that offices are necessary but only to a certain extent

Andrea Tornielli
VATICAN CITY

“Everything is necessary, offices are necessary, but only to a certain extent,” Pope Francis stated yesterday in the homily he pronounced during his customary morning mass in St. Martha’s House. In his message he also made explicit reference to the Vatican bank (IOR), which has had a rocky history, having often been at the centre of controversies, scandals and investigations.

His words indicated that the Vatican bank, along with all Curia’s various bodies, would be undergoing a review and reform in the next few months. The IOR, however, will not be shut down.

Francis’ words were centred around the profound essence of the Church, which must never consider itself a “company” that “makes deals to gain more partners”, neither does it measure its success in terms of organisation. “The path Jesus chose for his Church is a different one: he chose the difficult path, the path of the Cross, the path of persecution.” The Church begins “in the heart of the Father.”

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UNITED STATES/AUSTRALIA
The Dallas Morning News

By Reese Dunklin
rdunklin@dallasnews.com
5:02 pm on April 24, 2013

Another priest from our landmark 2004-2005 series on the Catholic Church’s international transfers of sex abusers has been arrested.

Australian authorities charged the Rev. Julian Fox, pictured, after he returned from his religious order’s headquarters in Rome. He faces 10 counts of sexually and physically abusing boys at a Melbourne-area boarding school, according to press reports.

In our series, I reported that Fox was moved to Fiji after an abuse complaint in the late 1990s was made to his order, the Salesians of Don Bosco. The Salesians also paid his accuser a settlement, officials acknowledged to me.

When I talked to Fox by phone in 2004, he said a church review had exonerated him. He declined to further discuss the allegations.

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MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An article Wednesday about Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki saying the church had mishandled the case of a priest accused of inappropriate contact with a child incorrectly stated that Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for Listecki, has criticized the media for reporting the accusations against Father Robert Marsicek. Topczewski says he’s been critical of the extent of the coverage on Marsicek.

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IRELAND
Impartial Reporter

Sarah Saunderson
Published 25 Apr 2013

There are currently six civil cases involving allegations of clerical child abuse pending in the Clogher diocese, the Bishop of Clogher the Very Rev. Liam MacDaid has said.

While the “vast majority are historical”, it has emerged that a most recent allegation came to light as recently as two years ago.

A report released yesterday (Wednesday) on behalf of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) draws “a line between the practice of this diocese today and some of the practice which existed previously”.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information contact:
Angie Shelton
Community Relations Specialist
Phone: 314-792-7101

The Archdiocese of St. Louis has learned that Fr. William Vatterott, who had been the Pastor at St. Cecilia Parish in St. Louis and previously an Associate Pastor at Holy Infant in Ballwin, has been charged with possession of child pornography.

Fr. Vatterott has been on administrative leave from St. Cecilia Parish since June of 2011, when the archdiocese was made aware of these allegations. Since that time, the archdiocese has fully cooperated with the investigation conducted by law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis encourages all persons with reports of misconduct with a minor involving a member of the clergy or other church personnel to contact Deacon Phil Hengen, Director of Child and Youth Protection, at 314.792.7704 or the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800.392.3737 or law enforcement officials.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
International Business Times

By Charles Poladian | April 25 2013

A Catholic priest, William Vatterott, 36, was indicted on a possession of child pornography charge in St. Louis, and, if convicted, could face 10 years in jail as well as a $250,000 fine.

Vatterott’s indictment was released by the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District Missouri, Richard Callahan, notes Reuters. Vatterott served as a pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in St. Louis from 2008 until he was placed on administrative leave in June 2011 by the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

The archdiocese issued a statement on Wednesday regarding Vetterott’s indictment saying, “Fr. Vatterott has been on administrative leave from St. Cecilia Parish since June of 2011, when the archdiocese was made aware of these allegations. Since that time, the archdiocese has fully cooperated with the investigation conducted by law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office.”

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

by NCR Editorial Staff | Apr. 25, 2013

In late February, Maltese Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna told Italian journalists, “From now on, no one” — and when he said “no one” he meant the 117 cardinals coming to Rome for the conclave that would elect Pope Francis — “will be able to say they know nothing about what goes on regarding clerical sex abuse.” Efforts begun by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and continued by Pope Benedict XVI are “now a fundamental part of the church’s response to sex abuse,” Scicluna said. “It will be part of the leadership program of whoever is elected in the Sistine Chapel.”

Scicluna, of course, is more than an auxiliary bishop from Malta. He was the prosecutor handling sex abuse cases for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for 10 years until he was made a bishop last year. He, under the leadership of Ratzinger as the doctrinal congregation’s prefect, deserves credit for breaking the ecclesial logjam and beginning to move effectively against clergy who had abused children.

As we sort through Benedict’s pontificate and his more than three-decades-long legacy at the top of the church hierarchy, it would be wrong to too easily dismiss what Benedict did to protect children from clergy sex abusers. This does not mean his record is blemish-free or that we agree entirely with the processes used by bishops and the Curia to handle cases of abuse brought against clergy. But there can be no doubt that the church and her children would be in a far worse position if Benedict had not taken control of these cases in 2002.

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CONNECTICUT
Berlin Citizen

Monica Szakacs

It has almost been two years since a former assistant pastor of St. Paul Church in Kensington was first arrested and charged with five felony counts of risk of injury to a minor and one misdemeanor obscenity charge.

Father Michael Miller’s case was continued for the 21st time on March 28, 2013. His next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, in GA 15 Courthouse, at 20 Franklin Square, New Britain.

William J. St. John Jr., a Waterbury attorney who represents the former Berlin priest, said he cannot discuss any details regarding the case.

Miller was first arrested on July 12, 2011, at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, on charges that he had inappropriate contact with more than one minor. At the time he’s been hospitalized for an unknown reason.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
KELO

By Kevin Murphy

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – A federal grand jury indicted a Catholic priest in St. Louis on Wednesday on child pornography charges involving Internet images of a boy under the age of 18, in the latest sex accusation to rock the Church.

William Vatterott, 36, was charged with possession of child pornography, according to the indictment released by the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000, if convicted.

The indictment is the latest in a series of abuse accusations to hit the U.S. Catholic Church over the past two decades. The scandals have cost the Church billions of dollars in settlements and driven prominent dioceses into bankruptcy.

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CANADA
Global News

MONTREAL- Alora Condo is a sixth-grader at St. Willibrord’s School in Chateauguay. As she attended the Truth and Reconciliation event at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, she was shocked by what she saw. It reminded her of experiences her Mohawk grandfather had while he was at a residential school.

“They took away their culture, their language and they replaced it with some other kind of language,” she said. “My kinds of people went to these schools, and I wish I could have helped them.”

For a lot of students in the western Montreal area, Aboriginal issues hit close to home. A full third of St. Willibrord’s School, where Condo attends, have roots in the Mohawk nation of Kahnawake nearby.

“We had so many Native students that I felt it was my responsibility to share it with them,” said Annabelle Daignault, a French teacher at the school. “We kind of learned everything together, they were shocked obviously.”

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CANADA
Montreal Gazette

MONTREAL – Many non-aboriginal Canadians remain all too ignorant of the shameful history of Canada’s residential schools, whose damaging legacy continues to be felt in aboriginal communities across the country. The Montreal hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which got underway Wednesday and are to continue until Saturday, are part of the process of moving forward, not only for those who choose to testify, but for all Canadians.

At these public hearings, which are being held in seven Canadian cities, survivors of the residential school system are getting an opportunity to recount their experiences. Over the course of more than a century, tens of thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were wrenched from their families and communities, and sent away to boarding schools run by religious groups and funded by the federal government. Though the schools were winding down by the 1970s, the last of them did not close until 1996.

More than merely a well-intentioned effort to educate children, the policy was frankly designed to assimilate aboriginals — “to take the Indian out of the child,” according to one bureaucrat of the day. Students were forbidden to speak their own languages, and their traditional beliefs were denigrated and characterized as sinful. And all too often, the children were also subjected to physical and sexual abuse. No wonder, then, that the schools have left a painful legacy, one with which survivors, their descendants and their communities are still struggling. The commission’s work is part of a healing process that also includes monetary compensation, and has seen a 2008 apology from the federal government.

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CANADA
Montreal Gazette

By Steve Bonspiel, Special to The Gazette
April 25, 2013

MONTREAL – The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada opened hearings Wednesday in Montreal at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel that will run through Saturday — and there are a number of reasons you should be there.

The commission was created after the $1.9-billion residential-schools settlement in 2007 between the government of Canada (along with partner Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches) and the Assembly of First Nations.

Frank disclosure of the atrocities committed at church-run, government-backed residential schools have finally started to come out into the open since the settlement. An apology by all federal political parties, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the House of Commons in 2008, was seen as a step forward.

But for Native people, many of whom see the apology as shallow, free of any real remorse or substance, there is still so much work and educating to be done.

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CANADA
Montreal Gazette

By Christopher Curtis, The Gazette April 24, 2013

MONTREAL — It may be painful and profoundly troubling, but Canadians need to have a serious conversation about residential schools.

Michaëlle Jean’s voice resounded sharply as she described the need for all Canadians to embrace aboriginal issues as their own. The former governor-general was in Montreal Wednesday to take part in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission — a $60-million project aimed at documenting the systematic torment suffered by generations of aboriginals who were forced into Canada’s residential school system.

Jean served as governor-general when the TRC was launched during a ceremony at Ottawa’s Rideau Hall in 2009. She became an honorary witness at the roving commission’s first national event in Winnipeg, where elders described the unspeakable acts of abuse they survived during childhoods spent as wards of the federal government.

“It was the start of a dialogue, it was very troubling to hear the testimonies, sometimes disturbing, but there was also hope,” Jean told a group of reporters huddled in a hallway inside the Queen Elizabeth Hotel downtown. “Because it was about sharing, sharing of the facts about this very dark chapter of our history. … I think the role of this commission is breaking the role of indifference. Indifference is not an option, we need to confront history together and see how we want to move forward.”

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DEUTSCHLAND
Main Post

Missbrauch in der katholischen Kirche: Drei Jahre nach dem Skandal kritisieren Betroffene die Diözese Würzburg für die fehlende Aufklärung des Falls Damian Mai.

Sie fordern Transparenz statt weitere Vertuschung. Bislang schweigt das Ordinariat.

Für Bischof Friedhelm Hofmann sind die 2010 auch in seiner Diözese ans Licht gekommenen Missbrauchsfälle durch katholische Geistliche erfolgreich bewältigt worden. In dieser Zeitung lobte er jüngst die „transparente Aufarbeitung“ und „rückhaltlose Aufklärung“ der Vorwürfe. „Ich kenne keine Einrichtung in Deutschland, die Opfern sexuellen Missbrauchs in ähnlicher Weise entgegenkäme“, lobte der Bischof die finanzielle Entschädigung, die die katholische Kirche leistet. Auf der Frühjahrskonferenz der deutschen Bischöfe war die durch den Missbrauchsskandal ausgelöste Vertrauenskrise gar kein Thema mehr.

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IRELAND
Galway Advertiser

By Mary O’connor

Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan should ensure written restrictions are in place ensuring priests who are “out of ministry” due to child abuse allegations do not appear in public dressed in priestly attire, a report into safeguarding practices for children in the Galway diocese recommends.

The 28-page document, which was published yesterday (Wednesday) examines case records dating back to 1975.

It reveals allegations were made against 14 diocesan priests in the period 1975 to 2013. A total of 38 allegations were received, 27 of which were reported to the Gardai and the HSE. Allegations were made against three priests who are in ministry, two who are retired and five who are deceased. Two others have left the priesthood while a further two men are still members of the diocese but are “out of ministry”. One priest in the diocese was convicted of child abuse in the 38-year-period.

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IRELAND
Irish Examiner

Ian Elliott, the Catholic church’s own watchdog on child protection measures in Ireland, has detailed the policies now in place to prevent child abuse in several dioceses.

It is part of a nationwide review of each diocese and Religious Order in the wake of a series of damning state inquiries into the extent of paedophilia in the clergy and subsequent cover-ups.

Audits looked at in his third and latest tranche include the dioceses of Ferns, Killala, Elphin, Waterford and the Society of African Missions.

* In Ferns, where in 2005 investigators uncovered decades of abuse and cover-ups, 24 priests have faced allegations since 1975, none are in ministry and three have been convicted.

Mr Elliott noted a sea change compared to how the diocese operated since the report eight years ago, including a complainant-centred approach adopted by clergy and support staff.

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IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

Ex-bishop Joseph Duffy holds hands up over failure to tackle his paedophile priests

BY VICTORIA O’HARA– 25 April 2013

A former bishop failed to prevent clerical sex abuse and did not remove suspected paedophile priests from the ministry, a damning new watchdog report has said.

The Irish National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) report published yesterday said there was “an unacceptable delay” in taking action against one priest.

It said Bishop Joseph Duffy’s delay came despite concerns being raised of “a credible allegation” in the Clogher diocese, which includes parts of Tyrone, Fermanagh, Cavan, Donegal and Louth.

The review said that 13 priests in the diocese faced allegations, one of whom is classified as either “in ministry or retired”, and two have been convicted.

In another case, a priest in the diocese was suspected of multiple incidents of abuse, but he was not removed, was transferred to another parish and eventually was sent overseas for therapeutic help.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
BBC News

Northern Ireland Programme Director of Amnesty International, Patrick Corrigan, welcomed the publishing of the Clogher clerical abuse report.

“We got yet another glimpse into the horror of abuse suffered by children in parishes in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and the way in which figures in the church hierarchy permitted the abuse to continue.

“Yet, church-approved reviews are no substitute for a proper, independent investigation into clerical child sex abuse throughout Northern Ireland,” he said.

“It is increasingly clear that clerical child sex abuse happened in Northern Ireland over many years and over many parishes – but only a proper state-instituted inquiry will tell us the extent of the problem and help bring to account those responsible.”

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IRELAND
The Boston Pilot

By Michael Kelly

Posted: 4/24/2013
DUBLIN (CNS) — The head of the Catholic Church’s child safeguarding watchdog said he is encouraged by the latest audits of the handling of abuse allegations by dioceses and a religious congregation.

Ian Elliott, head of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, said the seven audits, published April 24, show “clear evidence of steady progress in developing robust safeguarding structures” in the church.

“The overall picture is a very positive one with the vast majority of the criteria used to assess performance against the review standards as being fully met,” he said.

While commending the overall picture, some of the audits are critical of past failings. In Clogher Diocese, for example, the review found that retired Bishop Joseph Duffy “consistently missed” opportunities to prevent abuse.

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IRELAND
Irish Times

Patsy McGarry

Thu, Apr 25, 2013

So it’s goodbye to Ian Elliott. Some in the Catholic Church in Ireland clearly have felt it has been less than good to know him. Then maybe it’s just the beginning of a longer farewell involving the chief executive of the church’s child protection “watchdog-with-a-helluva- bite” and the authorities in Maynooth.

He may yet be employed on a consultancy basis as the review process in the church’s 162 institutions goes on.

It is doubtful whether the Catholic Church on this island has ever owed as much to a Presbyterian where restoring its credibility is concerned. Yesterday’s “gratifying” reports on current child protection practices in six dioceses and one religious congregation would hardly have been possible without his doggedness. He has played a hugely significant role in making Catholic parishes in Ireland today among the safest places for children.

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IRELAND
Irish Times

Patsy McGarry

Thu, Apr 25, 2013

Ian Elliott is to stand down as chief executive of the National Board for Safeguarding Children next month. “My contract expires at the end of June and, when leave is taken into account, I’ll be gone by the end of May,” he said yesterday.

By then he will have completed his second three-year contract with the board since 2007.

He has been requested by the Catholic Church in Australia to advise it on setting up child-protection review structures and will visit the country for three weeks in August and September next.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

25 April 2013

IN his Northern peace process memoir ‘Making Peace’, Senator George Mitchell mused that he hoped he could go with his son into the Stormont Assembly 10 years after the Good Friday Agreement and be bored by the proceedings – a sign of normalcy in democratic politics.

Reading the six reviews of Irish Catholic dioceses by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCI) – its third tranche – that same sense of ‘normalcy’ is evident as the clean bills of health, notwithstanding historic problems, are handed out.

Only Clogher diocese came in for some criticism of its management of allegations and this was prior to the current bishop’s appointment in 2010. Under Bishop Duffy, now retired, the diocese “consistently missed” opportunities for “preventative interventions”.

Maeve Lewis of One in Four called the reviews “reassuring” and called on the Children’s Minister to accelerate the Children First legislation.

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MILWAUKEE (WI)
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

This is Child Abuse Awareness month and this week is Safe Environment Week in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where we pay special attention to the measures adopted over the past 10 years to ensure children are safe in our parishes and schools.

Last night, as a way of marking these events, I celebrated a Mass of Atonement, joining our prayers to the sacrificial act of Jesus, to pray for those who have suffered from clergy sexual abuse, for the community that carries the pain associated with their brothers and sisters, for the reform in the heart and mind of those clergy who have abused, but most importantly, for a sense of understanding that God’s love can accomplish a reconciliation in our lives and in our community.

In preparing for the Mass, which was hosted by St. John Vianney Parish in Brookfield, I began thinking about how our attention to Safe Environment is one of the good things that has come out of the evil that was perpetrated upon innocent children. The Safeguarding All of God’s Family program has provided training to more than 50,000 adults who have contact with our young people and, in addition, more than 100,000 children received safe environment education in their curriculum.

We have heightened our awareness about sexual abuse and tried to reach out to abuse survivors in the best ways possible. We have worked with law enforcement to ensure our policies for handling reports of sexual abuse are the best they can possibly be. We have an annual audit of our practices to make certain we remain in compliance with all the demands of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

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WISCONSIN
Patch

By Jim Price

In a pastoral letter now published in his blog on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee website, Archbishop Jerome Listecki says that while the church followed “the letter of the law” in allowing Father Robert Marsicek to retain his priestly duties in Wauwatosa while he was being investigated in California, it might not have followed “the spirit of the law,” in light of the church’s pledge to keep children safe.

The contrite missive, titled “Child Abuse Awareness,” begins by noting that this is Child Abuse Awareness month and this week is Safe Environment Week in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and his celebration of a Mass of Atonement at St. John Vianney Parish in Brookfield for the victims of clergy sexual abuse, as well for “the community that carries the pain” associated with it.

Listecki outlines steps the Catholic Church has taken over the past decade in training of its staff, education of its flock, and outreach to the community, restoring trust and credibility to an institution “badly broken” by its response to past allegations of abuse.

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SERBIA
In Serbia

BELGRADE – After various media started reporting about Serbian priest in Bosnia has allegedly abused minors, and even some of them got killed in the attempt to hide it, Serbia was deeply shaken. This was not the first time an Orthodox Church Priest gets accused for such a vicious crime.

Bishop Vasilije Kacavenda, or episkop zvorničko-tuzlanski, which is his original title, has become known as child molester judging by testimonials from his alleged victims and their parents. But there is no concrete evidence, such as photos or videos.

After the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church heard about the unfortunate news, they decided to “punish” Kacavenda by retiring him. The decision came after careful consideration of available information. Kacavenda was retired, but allowed to keep his rank. However, the bishop hopes that this is just temporary decision, that all the charges will be dropped and he would be reinstated.

Another problem comes from the fact that Kacavenda is known as a bishop who has furniture painted in gold, and a home that looks like a palace.

Kačavenda was accused of multiple homosexual activities with minors. Serbian media also accused him of having sex with four young boys, claimed that it can be seen on the video (scroll down), and also that Serbian Orthodox Church is in the possession of this and maybe other videos, but it is not available for the public. Serbian Orthodox Church representatives have neither confirmed nor denied this claim.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
KSDK

ST. LOUIS (KSDK) – A federal grand jury indicted a St. Louis priest on child pornography charges Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said.

According to court documents, Fr. William Vatterott was found to be in possession of the illicit materials between June 2010 and June 2011.

Two teens reported to the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 2011 that Fr. Vatterott engaged in inappropriate electronic communications with them. One teenager, who was 18-years-old at the time, also reported underage drinking and other undisclosed inappropriate behaviors. Neither teenager reported physical contact or solicitation of any kind.

Fr. Vatterott was placed on administrative leave after the incidents were reported. He had served as pastor at St. Cecilia Parish since January 2008, after serving as associate pastor at Holy Infant Parish in Ballwin.

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MILWAUKEE (WI)
Fox 6

April 24, 2013, by Katie DeLong

MILWAUKEE (WITI) — This week, Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki held a Mass of Atonement — a Mass that has become an annual event during which the church seeks forgiveness for clergy who have sexually abused children. Now, Listecki has released a letter following that Mass in which he discusses Child Abuse Awareness month and Safe Environment Week within the Archdiocese.

Archbishop Listecki’s letter reads:

Love One Another
April 23, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This is Child Abuse Awareness month and this week is Safe Environment Week in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, where we pay special attention to the measures adopted over the past 10 years to ensure children are safe in our parishes and schools.

Last night, as a way of marking these events, I celebrated a Mass of Atonement, joining our prayers to the sacrificial act of Jesus, to pray for those who have suffered from clergy sexual abuse, for the community that carries the pain associated with their brothers and sisters, for the reform in the heart and mind of those clergy who have abused, but most importantly, for a sense of understanding that God’s love can accomplish a reconciliation in our lives and in our community.

In preparing for the Mass, which was hosted by St. John Vianney Parish in Brookfield, I began thinking about how our attention to Safe Environment is one of the good things that has come out of the evil that was perpetrated upon innocent children. The Safeguarding All of God’s Family program has provided training to more than 50,000 adults who have contact with our young people and, in addition, more than 100,000 children received safe environment education in their curriculum.

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ST. LOUIS (MO)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

By Robert Patrick rpatrick@post-dispatch.com 314-621-5154

ST. LOUIS • A St. Louis priest was indicted Wednesday on one federal child pornography charge, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Prosecutors say Father William F. Vatterott, 36, possessed child pornography between June 2010 and June 2011. The indictment accuses Vatterott of having at least two images of child porn on his computer; both were images of an unidentified nude boy.

Vatterott is expected to appear in federal court late this week or early next week, they said.

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Legal Intelligencer

By Amaris Elliott-Engel
The Legal Intelligencer

April 24, 2013

The Philadelphia judge who presided over the first trial in the country of a Catholic Church official charged with endangering the welfare of children abused by other priests said there was evidence that his motive was to perpetuate a system of protecting abusive priests over their sexual-abuse victims.

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, writing in a 236-page opinion required under procedural rules in the appeal of Monsignor William J. Lynn, said that Lynn “followed in his predecessors’ footsteps, perpetuating the system that he inherited.”

Lynn was responsible for reviewing allegations of sexual abuse involving priests as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s secretary of clergy from 1992 until 2004.

For example, Sarmina cited the situation of Father Nicholas Cudemo, who Lynn knew had been accused of abusing at least nine different girls, and whom Lynn instructed to comply with restrictions on his ministry “’for the good of the church and the avoidance of scandal,”’ according to the opinion.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
ABC News

By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA April 25, 2013 (AP)

A Philadelphia judge is defending her decisions in the trial of the first Catholic Church official in the U.S. to be charged and convicted in the cover-up of the priest abuse scandal.

Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina argues Monsignor William Lynn lied to perpetuate a church cover-up of child sexual abuse. Her opinion explains some of her trial decisions, which Lynn plans to challenge on appeal.

The Legal Intelligencer first reported on the judge’s April 12 ruling on Wednesday.

Lynn was a longtime secretary for clergy. He was convicted of child endangerment and is serving a three- to six-year prison term.

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IRELAND
Highland Radio

The border diocese of Clogher has been singled out for failing to prevent child abuse in the past.

The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church criticised the former bishop.

The Diocese consists of County Monaghan, much of County Fermanagh with parts of Counties Tyrone, and Donegal.

The reviewers said it was clear that in the past – opportunities to intervene and prevent abuse were consistently missed.

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IRELAND
Irish Times

Patsy McGarry

The former Bishop of the cross-border Catholic diocese of Clogher Joseph Duffy has been criticised for unsatisfactory responses to child abuse allegations and risky behaviour by priests there in a report published today.

A review by the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC), the Catholic Church’s child protection watchdog, found that “opportunities for preventive interventions were consistently missed when concerns of abuse by clergy were highlighted in the past” in Clogher.

Bishop Duffy, a former spokesman for the Catholic bishops, led the diocese for 31 years until his retirement in 2010.

The NBSC review, published this morning, covered the period from January 1st, 1975. It found a line had been drawn “between the practice of this diocese today and some of the practice that existed previously”.

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IRELAND
The Journal

“I am one of the fortunate survivors to have succeeded in securing a criminal conviction against one of two Spiritan priests who sexually abused me,” writes campaigner Mark Vincent Healy.

THE DIOCESES OF Clogher, Elphin, Killala and Waterford join the infamous group of seven Catholic Church authorities, including Derry, Dramore and Limerick, where not one priest has been convicted for having committed an offence or offences against a child or young person despite numerous allegations since 1 January 1975.

From the 16 dioceses reviewed to date by the National Board for Safeguarding Children, there have been 187 allegations made in relation to 98 priests where there have been no convictions. This represents a third of the church authorities examined where not one priest was held to account. Following the publication of the third tranche of audits, today is yet another difficult day to bear for any survivor from these Catholic Church authorities.

It is hard to take in the sense of pain and suffering inflicted upon those brave enough to bring their case forward, to seek justice. Seven of the 16 dioceses sent their complainants away with nothing for their pain and suffering save an empty apology having re-traumatised them all over again.

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OAKLAND (CA)
National Catholic Reporter

by Monica Clark | Apr. 24, 2013

Oakland, Calif. —
Every Sunday morning for the last three years, Tim Stier, former pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Fremont, Cailf., has stood outside Oakland’s Cathedral of Christ the Light to call attention to the need for what he calls “structural reform” within the church. Sometimes he is alone, holding a large sign that reads, “Include the Excluded: Women, Gay Persons, Abuse Survivors.” At other times, a handful of supporters joins him in the two-hour vigil.

On April 14, the third anniversary of his demonstration, about two dozen adults gathered in solidarity with him. Some were members of the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests. Others belonged to Women of Magdala, a local group advocating for the ordination of women. There were also gay and lesbian Catholics and a few of his Fremont parishioners.

“It’s important to stand with him,” said Patty Leal, who has known Stier since he presided at her wedding 32 years ago. “I have such great respect for him. I know what it has cost him to follow his conscience.”

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IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

Ex-bishop accepts mistakes after watchdog criticises poor judgement in dealing with paedophile priests

24 April 2013

A retired Catholic bishop has admitted mistakes after a watchdog found opportunities to stop dangerous paedophile priests were consistently missed.

Joseph Duffy, who led the Diocese of Clogher on the border in Ireland for 31 years, conceded poor judgment among past hierarchy in dealing with clerical abuse allegations.

The damning review found one serial abuser had not been taken out of ministry but moved to a new parish and eventually sent overseas for therapy.

In a second case, auditors said it was unacceptable to allow a priest facing a credible abuse allegation to continue to minister.

“I accept the criticism in the review and regret that, in the past, the standard of managing some cases fell short of what is expected today,” Bishop Duffy said.

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WALTHAM (MA)
BishopAccountability.org

As of April 19, 2013, the Minnesota legislature appears close to passing the Child Victims Act (HF 681 [see also another web posting of HF 681] / SF 534). It would eliminate prospectively the civil statute of limitations for minors and provide a three-year window in which previously barred cases could be brought.

If passed into law, it will make Minnesota’s justice system accessible to adults who were sexually assaulted as children and result in the identification of sexual predators — including some who may be abusing children still.

Bills like the Child Victims Act give society another benefit that is seldom mentioned: they expose institutional wrong-doing. In Delaware, a similar law resulted ultimately in the release by the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington of 11,000 pages of formerly secret abuse files. In California, the San Diego diocese released 10,000 pages and the Los Angeles archdiocese, 12,000 pages – both disclosures the result of a law that freed victims of time restrictions. When victims have civil recourse, institutions are forced to account for their actions.

It is troubling that in Minnesota, some of those lobbying against the Child Victims Act have been involved in the very bureaucracy whose actions in abuse cases would be revealed if the bill passes. The bill faces active opposition from the Minnesota Religious Council. Three Council members are from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including two – Rev. Kevin McDonough and former archdiocesan attorney Andrew Eisenzimmer – who worked for decades in the archdiocese to manage abuse cases. Their involvement in the Minnesota Religious Council effectively continues that effort.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Irish Independent

Sarah Stack and David Young– 24 April 2013

AN abuse survivor who alleges an uncle of the former Bishop of Clogher was one of his attackers has demanded a state inquiry into clerical sex crimes in Northern Ireland.

The Stormont Executive has established a statutory probe into abuse committed in state and church-run institutions, but its remit does not cover criminal acts committed by priests outside of children’s residential facilities.

Michael Connolly claims he was victimised for five years of his childhood in Donagh, Co Fermanagh, by parish priest Peter Duffy, who was later promoted to canon.

The deceased cleric was the uncle of the former Bishop of Clogher, Joseph Duffy, who was today heavily criticised for unsatisfactory responses to child abuse allegations and risky behaviour of priests in the diocese.

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MALTA/AUSTRALIA
Times of Malta

A Maltese man has blown the lid on the Australian Church by quitting the priesthood and claiming the Victorian Archdiocese has been deleting child sex abuse records.

Victor Buhagiar claims he “saw and heard” the Archbishop of Victoria order a secretary to turn off a recorder before discussing clerical sex abuse during a Church council meeting in April 2012.

He bowed out as a priest last January, saying his subsequent enquiries into the matter had led him to a metaphorical dead end.

“I believe there’s a devil in the hierarchy,” Mr Buhagiar has now told Australian investigative TV show Today Tonight.

“I suspect the recorder was turned off to create a black hole, so that investigators will…find nothing. Certain data is not being recorded in any way, shape or form.”

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AUSTRALIA/IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

24 April 2013

The head of the Catholic church watchdog into clerical abuse in Ireland is to head up a similar review panel in Australia, he has revealed.

Ian Elliott said he will leave his post in the summer after examining the records of 16 diocese and four religious orders.

The remaining 10 dioceses will be complete by the end of this year, he said, with the 100 plus orders and religious authorities examined by 2015.

“I have been invited to go work in Australia with the Catholic church,” he said. “They are interested in a review process and are learning from the Irish experience.”

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CHICAGO (IL)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

Posted by David Clohessy on April 24, 2013

Two men are suing the Chicago Catholic archdiocese and a former priest for alleged child sex crimes.

For the most part, only the most egregious child molesting clerics were defrocked in the 1970s, so we suspect that Fr. Baranowski assaulted many kids. We hope every single person who saw, suspected or suffered his crimes will find the courage to speak up, get help, expose wrongdoing, call police, and start healing.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Neues

Veröffentlicht am Mittwoch, 24. April 2013 von Stefan Domeyer

Der wegen Kindesmissbrauch verurteilte Pfarrer Andreas L. ist nicht mehr Priester. Ein von der vatikanischen Glaubenskongregation durchgeführtes kirchenrechtliches Verfahren führte zu seiner Entlassung aus dem Klerikerstand. Dies teilte das Bistum Hildesheim mit.

Andreas L. wurde im Januar vorigen Jahres zu sechs Jahren Haft verurteilt. Das Landgericht Braunschweig sah es als erwiesen an, dass er drei Jungen über mehrere Jahre sexuell schwer missbraucht hat. An die strafrechtliche Verurteilung schloss sich ein kirchenrechtliches Verfahren gegen L. an. Das staatliche Urteil wurde zusammen mit den Unterlagen der bisherigen kirchlichen Ermittlungen an die Glaubenskongregation weitergereicht.

„Das entspricht den Vorgaben des Vatikans in Fällen von sexuellem Missbrauch“, erläutert Weihbischof Heinz-Günter Bongartz, Geschäftsführer des Bischöflichen Beraterstabes für Verdachtsfälle des sexuellen Missbrauchs durch Geistliche im Bistum Hildesheim. Das Urteil der Glaubenskongregation könne sich so auf die staatlichen Ermittlungen stützen.

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IRELAND
The Journal

[Diocese of Ferns]

A REPORT INTO child protection practices in the Diocese of Ferns, which was the subject of the Ferns Report into allegations of clerical sexual abuse, was published today.

The report was published by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), as part of a review of safeguarding practice within all the Church authorities on the island of Ireland.

Criteria

The 2005 Ferns Inquiry Report was an official government inquiry into clerical sexual abuse allegations made against the Diocese of Ferns. One of the offenders was Fr Seán Fortune, who abused a large number of teenage boys. Fortune took his own life before his trial.

Today’s report found Ferns met 47 out of its 48 criteria fully, and one partially.

There are approximately 100,000 Catholic residents in the diocese, across 49 parishes. Its bishop, Bishop Denis Brennan, was installed on 1 March 2006

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IRELAND
Fermanagh Herald

A report into how allegations of child sex abuse were handled in the Clogher Diocese has revealed opportunities were “consistently missed”.

The audit by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church revealed allegations were made against 13 priests since 1975.

The Clogher Diocese includes six Tyrone parishes: Fintona, Dromore, Trillick, Eskra, Clogher and Aghavea-Aghintaine (Fivemiletown/Brookeboro). The diocese also spans across Fermanagh, Monaghan, Donegal, Louth and Cavan.

Of the 13 priests subject to allegations, seven were dead at the date the review commence on November 7 2012. A total of 23 allegations were reported to An Garda Síochána and 22 allegations to the HSE since January 1 1975.

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SOUTH CAROLINA
Fox Carolina

By Casey Vaughn

GREENWOOD, SC (FOX Carolina) –
A man who told Greenwood County deputies he was touched by a priest 15 years ago has decided not to pursue charges, according to reports.

The Index-Journal reported Tuesday that the victim told deputies he did not want to further pursue the investigation.

The allegations against Father Hayden Vaverek made news in early March when the Catholic Diocese of Charleston released a statement saying he had been put on administrative leave after someone reported the misconduct.

The diocese reported that the misconduct occurred while Vaverek was pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Greenwood, but “no parishioners of that parish were involved in the reported allegation.” Diocesan officials said the sexual misconduct involved a minor and happened more than 15 years ago.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Londonderry Sentinel

By Kevin Mullan
Published on 24/04/2013

OPPORTUNITIES to intervene following reports of clerical abuse in the cross-border Catholic Diocese of Clogher were consistently missed in the past, according to a newly-published report commissioned by Bundoran-born Bishop Liam McDaid.

The report carried out by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) at the request of Bishop McDaid who was ordained in 2010, was published on Wednesday (April 23).

Twenty-three allegations were made against 13 priests in the Diocese, which includes parts of Donegal, Tyrone and Fermanagh, since 1975. Three were still alive at the time of the review last November; two were convicted of offences against children; but one against whom an allegation had been made was never convicted of any offence.

Whilst acknowledging Bishop McDaid’s hard work ensuring good working relationships were maintained with safeguarding agencies in both jurisdictions of his diocese, the report does point to serious failings prior to his prelacy.

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CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times

BY LEEANN SHELTON
Staff Reporter

Last Modified: Apr 22, 2013

Two men are suing the Chicago Archdiocese and a former priest, claiming he molested them during unsupervised overnight trips more than 50 years ago.

The plaintiffs — now both in their mid-60s — say they met then-priest Alexander Sylvester Baranowski when they were students at St. Wenceslaus grammar school in Chicago.

Both men say Baranowski molested them on separate overnight ministry trips to Springfield in 1961 and 1962, on which he would take only one student with him, according to the suit filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court.

They claim that on each trip, Baranowski feigned that the hotel had made a mistake, and that the only room available had only one bed, forcing them to share a bed with him, the suit said. The priest then sexually abused them while they were sleeping, both men claim.

Church officials have since substantiated allegations against Baranowski, accusing him of sexual misconduct involving minors. He resigned in 1975 and was stripped of his priesthood a year later, according to the archdiocese’s website.

The men blame the archdiocese for failing to act, claiming church officials knew about the alleged abuse but concealed it from their families, law enforcement and other Catholics to protect the church’s reputation.

A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago said Monday night that officials have not yet seen the suit and declined to comment.

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian

Janet Fife-Yeomans
From:The Daily Telegraph
April 25, 2013

ALL child sex abuse victim Don Mayo wants is justice – but his story is so confronting, the Victims Compensation Tribunal at first said it could never have happened.

Now a well-known radio announcer, Mr Mayo was repeatedly raped as a boy by four brothers and a lay teacher at Christian Brothers College, Burwood.

Like most victims of childhood abuse, it took him decades before he could talk about it and, by then, his life “had fallen apart”.

Now he is one of the thousands pinning their hopes on the royal commission into institutionalised child sex abuse to provide answers.

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IRELAND
The Journal

THE NATIONAL BOARD for Safeguarding Children’s review into child protection practices in the Clogher diocese was highly critical of past responses to abuse allegations.

However, investigators drew a clear line between the past and current systems.

The report said that from the cases examined, “it was clear that opportunities for preventive interventions were consistently missed when concerns of abuse by clergy were highlighted in the past”.

In one particular case, there was an “unacceptable delay” in taking action against a priest and removing him from all ministry following a “credible allegation”.

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IRELAND
Galway Bay FM

Nine recommendations have been issued in a report into safeguarding practice in the diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora.

The 28 page document issued by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church examines seven standards.

It’s based on case material made available by Bishop Martin Drennan along with interviews with key personnel who contribute to safeguarding within the diocese.

The review references practice under the leadership of Bishop Drennan, Bishop McLoughlin and Bishop Casey.

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IRELAND
The Guardian (UK)

[Diocese of Clogher]

Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Catholic hierarchy failed to step in and prevent ongoing child sex abuse by priests in a Northern Ireland diocese, one of seven internal church reports has admitted.

Irish Catholicism’s National Board for Safeguarding Children found on Wednesday that there was “an unacceptable delay” in taking action against one priest after what it describes as “a credible allegation” in the Clogher diocese, which covers the border counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh as well as Cavan and Donegal in the Irish Republic.

Among the cases of system failure cited by the report is of a priest suspected of being a serial abuser who was not removed from the ministry but was instead first moved to another parish in the diocese and then sent overseas.

He was eventually extradited back to Ireland after several years but died before he could be brought before a court, the report concluded.

The report, which does not name any priest involved, says there were complaints against 13 clergy in the diocese over four decades. Two of the priests from Clogher were subsequently jailed.

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IRELAND
Irish Times

The former Bishop of the cross-border Catholic diocese of Clogher Joseph Duffy has been criticised for unsatisfactory responses to child abuse allegations and risky behaviour by priests there in a report published today.

A review by the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC), the Catholic Church’s child protection watchdog, found that “opportunities for preventive interventions were consistently missed when concerns of abuse by clergy were highlighted in the past” in Clogher.

Bishop Duffy, a former spokesman for the Catholic bishops, led the diocese for 31 years until his retirement in 2010.

The NBSC review, published this morning, covered the period from January 1st, 1975. It found a line had been drawn “between the practice of this diocese today and some of the practice that existed previously”.

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IRELAND
The Journal

THE REVIEW by the Church’s national board for the safeguarding of children has revealed that abuse allegations have been made against three of the 63 priests who are currently on active duty in the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora.

The review of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (PDF) is broadly positive of safeguarding procedures in the diocese, in a report which examines its performance under three different bishops since 1975.

While there is some criticism of how complaints had previously been managed in the diocese, the appraisal of procedures since the appointment of Bishop Martin Drennan in 2005.

Bishop Drennan this morning told Galway Bay FM that the allegations against the three active priests had been discussed with the Gardaí and HSE, and it was considered that the allegations were not significant enough to warrant removing them from duty.

The priests are not named in the Safeguarding Board’s report.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

[Diocese of Killala]

Caroline Crawford– 24 April 2013

THE Review of Safeguarding Practice within the Diocese of Killala found only a small number of allegations of abuse.

The report revealed that allegations were made against three priests in the Diocese with only four allegations received.

Three of these allegations were reported to gardai while only one was reported to the HSE. No convictions resulted from the allegations.

Two of the priests against whom allegations were made are still alive. The third was deceased at the time the allegation was made anonymously.

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FLORIDA
WPTV

[with video]

By: Jeff Skrzypek

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Stunned by the aftermath of sex crime allegations involving an ex-teacher at Rosarian Academy, parents and teachers got advice from experts on how to keep their children safe.

In early April, former Rosarian Academy teacher Stephen Budd was arrested for allegedly forcing several students into sex acts.

Weeks later, Rosarian Academy parents like Eliezer Hernandez sat and listened on Tuesday to a panel who hoped to prevent future sex crimes involving children.

“I mean what do you say? We’re at a loss for what we say to our six-year-old,” said Hernandez, who has both a six-year-old and a two-year-old at Rosarian Academy.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office along with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children tried to help parents on Tuesday to prevent their kids from trusting the wrong people.

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MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

April 23, 2013

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki issued a letter Tuesday suggesting the Catholic Church erred in its handling of a Wauwatosa priest suspended from leading two parishes and schools after a teacher reported what she considered inappropriate contact with a child in March.

Listecki said Father Robert Marsicek’s history of boundary issues involving children called into question the decision to leave him in ministry after it was learned in May 2012 that he was being investigated for alleged sexual abuse of two boys in the late 1980s to 1990s in California.

“While our decisions followed the letter of the law in accordance with existing policies, I am not sure they followed the spirit of the law with regard to our pledge to be vigilant in keeping children safe,” Listecki said in his weekly letter to Catholics in southeastern Wisconsin.

That decision, Listecki said, undermines the progress the church has made in addressing its sex abuse scandal and working to keep children safe in their parishes and schools.

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IRELAND
Newstalk

Seven reports have been released today which exmained child protection services in 6 dioceses and one order

Galway, Waterford, Clogher, Ferns, Kilalla and Elphin as well as the Society of African Missions religious order have all been subject to the reviews.

Out of the 7, the report into the Diocese of Ferns, is severely critical of two former Bishops in the Diocese for their handling of child sexual abuse cases.

The report by the National Bord for Safeguarding Children shows 100 allegations of child sexual abuse were made in the diocese since 1975.

3 priests have been convicted of committing an offence against a child in that time.

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IRELAND
Irish Examiner

[3rd Tranche of NBSCCCI Reviews – April 2013]

A watchdog review of the Diocese of Clogher, which straddles the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, found opportunities to prevent attacks in the past were consistently missed when concerns were raised.

The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland said, however, that a line should be drawn between how the diocese used to do its business and the rules in place today.

Bishop Joseph Duffy led the diocese for about 30 years until his retirement in 2010.

The report into Clogher is one of seven being released today by the watchdog.

Bishop Liam McDaid was ordained as Bishop of Clogher on July 25, 2010.

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IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

A former bishop has been criticised for unsatisfactory responses to child abuse allegations and risky behaviour of priests.

A watchdog review of the Diocese of Clogher, which straddles the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, found opportunities to prevent attacks in the past were consistently missed when concerns were raised.

The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland said, however, that a line should be drawn between how the diocese used to do its business and the rules in place today.

Bishop Joseph Duffy led the diocese for about 30 years until his retirement in 2010.

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DEUTSCHLAND
nw-news

Bielefeld (sim). In freikirchlichen Familien erleiden Kinder nach Untersuchungen des Kriminologen Christian Pfeiffer mehr Gewalt als in anderen Familien. Je stärker christlich-fundamentalistische Eltern im Glauben verankert seien, desto mehr prügelten sie, sagte Pfeiffer beim Deutschen Präventionstag in Bielefeld.

In katholischen und evangelischen Elternhäusern sei es umgekehrt: “Je religiöser sie sind, desto seltener üben sie Gewalt aus.” Grundlage der Befunde sind Befragungen des Kriminologischen Forschungsinstituts Niedersachsen in den Jahren 2008 bis 2011 unter 23.500 deutschen Jugendlichen aus Familien, die einer christlichen Gemeinde angehören. Pfeiffer war Schlussredner des Präventionstags der Deutschen Stiftung für Verbrechensverhütung und Straffälligenhilfe.

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DEUTSCHLAND
NDR

Panorama 3 – 23.04.2013 21:15 Uhr

Offen und schonungslos gegenüber sich selbst wollte die katholische Kirche Missbrauchsfälle aufklären. Doch bis heute leiden die Opfer unter dem Schweigen der Kirche.

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DEUTSCHLAND
MissBiT

NDR: “Das heißt, Sie haben persönlich mit Leuten gesprochen, die Ihnen bestätigt haben, dass in den Kirchenarchiven geschreddert worden ist?” Prof. Dr. Schüller: “Das kann ich bestätigen, ja.”

Professor Dr. Schüller war lange Kirchenanwalt im Bistum Limburg. Nur mit Hilfe der Akten konnte er einzelne Missbrauchsfälle aufarbeiten.

Prof. Dr. Schüller: “Sie sind deswegen so wichtig, weil, wenn der Bestand vollständig erhalten ist, man sehr genau rekonstruieren kann, wie auf eine Anzeige reagiert wurde und welche Maßnahmen ergriffen wurden. Und dann kann man das abgleichen. Insofern ist das sehr gut um zu rekonstruieren, ob man vertuschend oder sachgerecht damit umgegangen ist.”

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DEUTSCHLAND
Helmut Jacob

Derzeit erstellt der WDR Bonn eine Serie mit ehemaligen Heimkindern, die während ihres Heimaufenthaltes in den Jahren von 1960 bis 1975 schwer misshandelt und sexuell missbraucht wurden. Durch die Weigerung der Pressesprecherin des Franz Sales Hauses, Valeska Ehlert, dem WDR zu gestatten auf dem Gelände des Heimes zu drehen, liegt die Vermutung nahe, dass die Einrichtung an einer Aufklärung der schweren Verwürfe nicht interessiert ist.

Alle ehemaligen Heimkinder und Betroffene von Kinder- und Jugendheimen in Deutschland sind eingeladen am Montag, den 22. April, gegen 11.15 Uhr vor dem Franz Sales Haus, Essen, (Haupteingang), Steelerstraße 261 durch ihre Anwesenheit Solidarität zu zeigen und die Filmaufnahmen zu unterstützen.

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SERBIEN
Die Presse

Von Selbstbereicherung über Verherrlichung von Kriegsverbrechen bis zu Kindesmissbrauch: Bischöfe der serbisch-orthodoxen Kirche im Zwielicht.

Alter schützt offenbar auch betagte Kirchenfürsten nicht vor fatalen Fehltritten: Seit Tagen berichten serbische und bosnische Medien über anzügliche Videoaufnahmen des sogenannten „Teufelsbischofs“, Vasilije Kačavenda: Sie sollen den 74-jährigen, optisch ziemlich streng wirkenden Bischof des serbisch-orthodoxen Bistums von Zvornik-Tuzla in Bosnien beim Austausch intimer Zärtlichkeiten mit vermutlich Minderjährigen zeigen.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Chichester People

The Bishop of Chichester has this month apologised to a child abuse victim in the US

In a letter of apology to a victim, who now lives in the US, Dr Martin Warner, the Bishop of Chichester who took up the post last year, said there had been “deception and cover-up” at his diocese and conceded there had been an “ineptitude and irresponsible lack of professionalism.”

Former choirboy Gary Johnson, who has waved his anonymity, and his older brother, both from Eastbourne, were abused by Roy Cotton, who worked for the Diocese of Chichester, during the 1970s and 1980s.

The diocese is embroiled in a number of historical clerical sex abuse claims and its child protection policies are the subject of an official inquiry set up by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Portsmouth News

THE Bishop of Chichester has said there has been ‘deception and cover-up’ which has been at the centre of historic clerical sex scandals.

In a personal letter of apology to a child abuse victim, Dr Martin Warner conceded there has been ‘ineptitude and irresponsible lack of professionalism’ at the Diocese of Chichester in West Sussex.

The diocese has faced historic child abuse claims, and its child protection policies are the subject of an official inquiry set up in 2011 by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

Dr Warner wrote the letter earlier this month to a victim who suffered abuse as a boy in the 1970s and 1980s at the hands of paedophile Anglican clergyman Roy Cotton, who died in 2006.

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MISSOURI
The Kansas City Star

April 22

By TONY RIZZO
The Kansas City Star

Catholic school administrators placed science teacher Jeremy J. Way, 42, on administrative leave as soon as they learned Shawnee police were investigating him for an alleged sex crime, officials said Monday.

Way, who teaches at St. James Academy in Lenexa and coaches the school’s Science Olympiad team, was charged Friday with criminal sodomy and electronic solicitation of a child older than 14 but younger than 16, court records show. The incident involving a 14-year-old boy allegedly happened between Oct. 1 and Feb. 18, according to the Johnson County criminal complaint.

Way, who lives in Shawnee, posted a $100,000 bond and was released from custody pending his first court appearance on April 30. He declined to comment when reached by phone Sunday .

Shawnee police notified school officials of the investigation Thursday, according to a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. School officials were told that the incident did not involve a student, the spokeswoman said.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

[Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora]

By Caroline Crawford– 24 April 2013

THREE priests against whom allegations were made remain in ministry in the Galway diocese.

Galway Bishop, Martin Drennan said the three men where not removed from ministry because the concerns expressed were “not of a sufficient nature” to warrant their removal from ministry.

“The HSE and the gardai advised us that what was being done was sufficient in terms of monitoring,” he told Galway Bay fm.

The review of the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora covers files from 1975 up to 2010. It was carried out in January of this year and took three months to complete.

It revealed that allegations were made against 14 priests between the dates covered. The dioceses had reviewed 38 allegations over that period. No priests have been named in the report.

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IRELAND
Galway Bay FM

A report on the diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora has now been published.

The 28 page document issued by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church examines seven standards.

It’s based on case material made available by Bishop Martin Drennan along with interviews with key personnel who contribute to safeguarding within the diocese.

Galway Bay fm news notes the report references practice under the leadership of Bishop Drennan, Bishop McLoughlin and Bishop Casey. …

It notes that three priests against whom an allegation has been made are still in ministry.

It also records that one priest has been convicted of having committed an offence against a child or young person in the period since January 1975.

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IRELAND
Highland Radio

The border diocese of Clogher has been singled out for failing to prevent child abuse in the past.

The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church criticised the former bishop.

The Diocese consists of County Monaghan, much of County Fermanagh with parts of Counties Tyrone, and Donegal.

The reviewers said it was clear that in the past – opportunities to intervene and prevent abuse were consistently missed.

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IRELAND
Breaking News

A former bishop has been criticised for unsatisfactory responses to child abuse allegations and risky behaviour of priests.

A watchdog review of the Diocese of Clogher, which straddles the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, found opportunities to prevent attacks in the past were consistently missed when concerns were raised.

The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland said, however, that a line should be drawn between how the diocese used to do its business and the rules in place today.

Bishop Joseph Duffy led the diocese for about 30 years until his retirement in 2010.

The report into Clogher is one of seven being released today by the watchdog.

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IRELAND
BBC News

Opportunities for the Catholic Church to step in and tackle child abuse in the Clogher diocese were consistently missed, according to a report.

The church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children has published its report as part of the ongoing audits of dioceses across Ireland.

It said claims were made against 13 priests in the diocese over almost four decades.

Two of the priests were subsequently jailed.

The report said that under the current Bishop of Clogher, Dr Liam McDaid, the issue of safeguarding children is effectively prioritised in the diocese.

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IRELAND
Impartial Reporter

Sarah Saunderson
Published 24 Apr 2013

An audit into the practices undertaken to safeguard children in the Clogher Diocese is to be launched this morning in Monaghan.

The Catholic Bishop of Clogher, the Very Rev. Bishop Liam MacDaid, will address a press conference on the report later this morning.

The Clogher report — which is expected to detail any incidence of allegations against priests in the diocese from the mid-70s — is part of the third tranche of similar reports by the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCI).

It comes after seven Safeguarding Review Reports reports were published for dioceses and religious congregations last September.

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IRELAND
Galway Bay FM

[Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora]

April 24, 2013

Bishop Drennan says report shows good safeguarding of children in Galway Diocese

The Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan says a report to be officially published later today shows good safeguarding practice in the diocese and is a very significant day for the church.

The report is one of six nationwide to be issued by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church.

It examines files from 1975 to 2010 and has been three months in the making with the main field work completed in January.

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IRELAND
RTE News

[Diocese of Clogher]

Retired bishop of Clogher Joseph Duffy consistently missed opportunities to prevent clergy from sexually abusing children, according to the Catholic Church’s watchdog.

The National Board for Safeguarding Children has published audits of several dioceses.

It states that in one particular case in Clogher, there was an unacceptable delay in taking action against a priest and removing him from all ministry following receipt of a credible allegation.

Another priest suspected of multiple abuse was transferred to another parish and eventually was sent overseas for therapeutic help.

Eventually, he was extradited to the Republic from the United States but died before he could be brought before the courts.

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UNITED STATES
The Legal Examiner

Mike Bryant

There is an easy answer and that is “yes”. Jeff Anderson took a look at this topic over at his must read blog based on a CNN Interview:

There are seven concrete measures the future pope can and must implement to bring about change within the clerical culture on child sexual abuse. First, disclose the names of all the clerics credibly accused and known to the Vatican worldwide along with the country, state, and parish or school where the offenses were allegedly committed. More than a dozen bishops have already created such lists and made them public.

Second, publicly disclose all of the documents within the Vatican’s archives that pertain to reports of child sex abuse, the Vatican’s response to it, and the hierarchy’s role in the abuse. The church must begin to make amends to survivors, and exposing the secrets and concealment contained in such documents is a critical step.

Third, revise church canon law and Vatican protocols so that no secrecy surrounds child sex abuse. Secrecy is toxic, and in it, child abuse flourishes. Fourth, require each bishop and church official to report clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors to law enforcement.

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IRELAND
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church

NBSCCCI Media Statement on the Third Tranche of Safeguarding Reviews

Clear evidence of steady progress

The Third Tranche of the Reviews of Safeguarding practice across the Catholic Church were released today by the seven Church authorities involved. They were the dioceses of Killalla, Elphin, Wexford and Lismore, Galway, Clogher, and Ferns. They also included the Society of Missions to Africa. This brings the total of Church authorities reviewed to date by this process to 20.

“It is gratifying to report clear evidence of steady progress in developing robust safeguarding structures in all these authorities,” said Ian Elliott the CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI).

“The overall picture is a very positive one with the vast majority of the criteria used to assess performance against the Review standards as being fully met.”

He went on to state that this was very encouraging progress and represented a significant improvement on past performance.

“In particular, I want to thank and congratulate the army of volunteers who regularly give their time to supporting the safeguarding of children in the Church. Their efforts have been nothing short of heroic”, said Elliott.

Downloads

Diocese of Clogher

Diocese of Elphin

Diocese of Ferns

Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora

Diocese of Killala

Society of African Missions (SMA)

Diocese of Waterford

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

[Diocese of Ferns]

Cormac McQuinn– 24 April 2013

A REVIEW of child safeguarding practices in a Catholic Diocese notorious for sex abuse by priests has found that it is now complying with standards required for the protection of children and procedures for reporting abuse.

However, the review also revealed that allegations of abuse have been made against three more priests in the Diocese, who weren’t included in the damning 2005 Ferns Report into child abuse at the Co Wexford-based Diocese.

Church-funded watchdog, The National Body for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI), found that the Diocese of Ferns was fully compliant with six out of seven standards for protecting children.

And it found that the Diocese was mostly compliant with guidelines for the management of child abuse allegations.

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WISCONSIN
WISN

[with video]

BROOKFIELD, Wis. —Milwaukee’s archbishop delivered a mass of atonement Monday night at St. John Vianney, focusing on the victims of clergy sex abuse.

This was the first time Archbishop Jerome Listecki has spoken on removing the Rev. Bob Marsicek from his duties last month.

Listecki delivered his fourth Mass of atonement recognizing the church needs to bring reconciliation for priest sex abuse. He said the church’s change in policy is working.

“There is no one operating in the archdiocese today with a substantiated allegation of child sex abuse. There just isn’t,” Listecki said.

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MALTA/AUSTRALIA
Times of Malta

A Maltese has quit the priesthood in Victoria, Australia, claiming the Victorian Archdiocese is continuing to hide child abuse cases.

Victor Buhagiar, a priest for 25 years, told Today Tonight that it had become impossible to continue after he found out the Church was deleting records relating to child sexual abuse.

During one meeting, he said, he heard the Archbishop telling the secretary to turn off the recorder.

“As soon as the recording was turned off, the Archbishop started talking about the sex abuse situation.

“I suspect the recorder was turned off to minimise the possibility of investigators finding evidence that can be useful to the inquiry, or to the Royal Commission; to create like a black hole, an empty space that when the investigators try to see how the situation evolved during the last 10 years or so, they seem to find nothing.”

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SOUTH CAROLINA
WYFF

GREENWOOD, S.C. —Greenwood County deputies say a man who said he was inappropriately touched by priest 15 years ago has decided not to pursue charges because he thinks the Catholic church’s punishment will be enough.

An incident report obtained says the victim told investigators he met the priest while he was a student at St. Joseph’s High School in Greenville.

Deputies said the man told them the suspect rubbed him and only focused on sins related to sex during confession. The man also told investigators the priest spent the night with him on occasion.

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CANADA
CBC News

Bishop Fred Henry testified in a Calgary courtroom Tuesday in support of a priest who is suing an Indian man for defamation.

Father Antonio Rodrigues, a parish priest at St. Bernadette’s Church in southeast Calgary, has accused a man in India of spreading allegations that the priest molested a 13-year-old girl.

Ten years ago, the girl who made the accusation in India recanted her statement, telling local police she had lied. The case was dropped.

The priest now alleges a personal battle has led to a lawyer overseas, named Aires Rodrigues, continuing to spread the story in internet postings and emails to Calgary school and church officials.

Antonio Rodrigues is seeking $600,000 in damages. The two men share the same last name but are not related.

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UNITED STATES
BishopAccountability.org

Summary of Case: O’Liddy was a priest of the Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus, ordained in 1990. He took a leave of absence in February 1999 and, in August of that year, was caught sending lewd photos to a 14 year-old girl. Investigators posed as the girl and arranged for a rendezvous with O’Liddy. He was arrested when he showed up and charged with attempted sexual assault of a minor. O’Liddy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to ten years’ probation and 200 hours of community service. He left the priesthood after his sentencing.

Ordained: 1990

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SOUTH CAROLINA
Index-Journal

By SCOTT J. BRYAN

An alleged victim of sexual misconduct of a minor by a Catholic priest will not pursue criminal charges, a Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office report released Monday indicated.

The report, filed by the GCSO’s investigations unit, said the 32-year-old Simpsonville victim, who now lives in New York, signed a criminal investigation waiver, indicating “he did not want to further pursue the investigation.”

GCSO investigator Kenny Downing said any adult can sign a waiver not to pursue charges. Minors cannot; they must have a parent or guardian’s signature.

The allegation stemmed from a meeting the GCSO had with Diocese of Charleston investigator Paul Buceti, who met with investigators March 8.

On March 10, the Diocese of Charleston issued a release stating Father Hayden Vaverek was placed on administrative leave and had his priestly faculties withdrawn after “an allegation of sexual misconduct of a minor dating back more than 15 years.”

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SOUTH CAROLINA
The Item

Associated Press

Greenwood County deputies say a man who said he was inappropriately touched by priest 15 years ago has decided not to pursue charges because he thinks the Catholic church’s punishment will be enough.

An incident report obtained by The Index-Journal of Greenwood ( http://bit.ly/17Vap42) said the victim told investigators he met the priest while he was a student at St. Joseph’s High School in Greenville.

Deputies say the victim told them the suspect rubbed him and only focused on sins related to sex during confession. The victim also told investigators the priest spent the night with him on occasion.

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AUSTRALIA
Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Weekly

By DAN OAKES, The Age
April 23, 2013,

THE former principal of a Catholic school in Sunbury has been charged with child-sex offences stretching back almost 40 years after police negotiated the man’s return from Rome with the Catholic Church.

Police have hailed the arrest of Father Julian Fox as ‘‘a breakthrough in co-operation between the Victoria Police and the Catholic Church’’.

The 67-year-old went to the police crime command headquarters at St Kilda Road and was charged with 10 offences, including buggery, indecent assault and common-law assault, allegedly committed in Sunbury and Ferntree Gully between 1976 and 1985.

Police said they had been negotiating with the Church since July over the priest’s return. He has been bailed to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday.

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CALIFORNIA
The Valley Catholic

Dear Friends,
As we observe “Child Abuse Prevention Month,” we are reminded, as with so many other annual observances, that what we observe is never only for a day, or even a month or a year. Just as in May and June we celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, hopefully not neglecting our parents for the rest of the year, so during April, we highlight our constant vigilance and commitment to the protection of our children, indeed of all children.

Awareness is key to these efforts, for each of us must be prepared to recognize signs of abuse, of neglect, and of bullying wherever children are present: at home, at school and at play. Our Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults is constantly offering training for adults and children to do all that we can to ensure a safe environment, especially for the most vulnerable. We are partners with other agencies that are willing to share their resources as we work collaboratively to prevent all forms of abuse.

Each of you who are reading this letter can be an agent for good in this commitment that we share. I encourage you and your families in all of our parishes and schools to learn more about the signs of abuse – whether physical or emotional – and never to be afraid of coming forward to the proper authorities so that, in the words of the Lord, “not one hair on their heads” will be harmed.
As we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord in this Easter Season, may each of us redouble our efforts in awareness and prevention of child abuse, knowing that God wants for us only what is good. Please know that you are all in my prayers.

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UNITED STATES
U.S. Catholic

By Bryan Cones

It should be fairly obvious that there have been few “white hats” in the bishops’ response to the sex abuse crisis, but as time goes by, one bishop, retired Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, seems to have no hat at all. Today’s story at the National Catholic Reporter, detailing Mahony’s rejection of the original forms issued by the John Jay researchers, notes that Mahony objected that the John Jay researchers had no understanding of “ecclesiastical culture”–by which he must have meant the deference expected by local bishops in running “their” dioceses.

We can hope that Mahony’s objections, lodged 10 years ago, would not be repeated by current bishops, but recent news about a Joliet priest who had credible accusations of inappropriate behavior with a minor as early as 1986 but was not removed from ministry for a further 20 years, gives one pause. The claim made by Joliet diocesan spokesman James Dwyer that then-Bishop Joseph Imesch “did sit down with [the priest] and tell him sternly, ‘This is wrong. You can’t do stuff like this,'” is a sign of how out of touch the bishop had become. (The priest in question, William Virture [!!!], had taken a 10-year-old to an abandoned quarry, along with two six packs of beer; when police arrived, he fled, only to be arrested but released after the boy’s mother had said she had given permission for Virtue to take the boy swimming. I’m glad the bishop was “stern” in his warning.)

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UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

The Bishop of Chichester has admitted to a former choirboy, abused as a child by an Anglican priest in East Sussex, that there was a cover-up.

Gary Johnson and his older brother, from Eastbourne, were abused by Roy Cotton, who worked for the Diocese of Chichester, in the 1970s and 1980s.

In a private letter of apology to Mr Johnson, Dr Martin Warner wrote: “There has been deception and cover-up here.”

Welcoming the letter, Mr Johnson said: “I’ve been taken seriously at last.”

He said: “It’s given me some semblance of humanity. I’ve been validated, and I’ve been met at a level where I don’t feel like a victim or a survivor.

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CANADA
CTV

[with video]

Michael Franklin, CTV Calgary
Published Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bishop Fred Henry attended court on Tuesday, adamantly defending one of his parish priests against allegations of child molestation proven false almost ten years ago.

Henry testified in the defamation case by a Catholic priest against a lawyer from India who has been posting articles online claiming that he is a danger to children.

Father Newton Rodrigues was working in India at the time he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl.

Bishop Fred Henry was in court on Tuesday to testify in support of Catholic priest who is fighting a defamation case involving charges that were proven false ten years ago.

There was an ensuing investigation by the church and by authorities but was eventually exonerated of the charges

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NEDERLAND
RTV Oost

Misbruikte slachtoffers van een oud-pastoor in Albergen zijn boos op Kardinaal Eijk.

Hoewel de geestelijk leider van de Katholieke kerk vorig jaar september beloofde om de slachtoffers snel schadeloos te stellen, hebben zij nog steeds geen vergoeding gehad. De advocate van de slachtoffers uit Albergen heeft begrip voor de onvrede, maar volgens haar wil de kerk alle slachtoffers in héél Nederland ineens betalen en duurt het daarom zo lang.

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DEUTSCHLAND
NDR

von Eva Lodde & Brid Roesner

Die ersten Kindheitserinnerungen von Mario Baltes haben nichts Unbeschwertes: Es sind Erinnerungen an Schläge, an dunkle Keller, an versalzenes Essen.

Er wächst in einem Kinderheim in Eschweiler auf. Geführt von Nonnen. Und schließlich, als er fünf Jahre alt ist, wird es noch schlimmer. Der Missbrauch fängt an: “Die Nonne hatte oben im ersten Stock ein Zimmer. An beiden Seiten Türen, die zu den Schlafsälen hingingen. (…) Die Nonne hat dann freie Auswahl gehabt. (…) Teilweise sogar zwei oder drei Jungs gleichzeitig, die dabei waren und sie alle anfassen mussten oder sie hat sie dann nach und nach geholt.”

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NEDERLAND
RTV Oost

Hij schudt meewarig z’n hoofd: “Tsjongejonge…wat een bende.” Het zonlicht dringt fel door in de woonkeuken van Albergenaar Frank Oude Geerdink. Hij neemt een slok van z’n koffie. Ondanks beloftes van de kerkleiding, nu zo’n half jaar geleden, wachten hij en vijf andere voormalige slachtoffers van een vroegere pastoor, op genoegdoening.

Oude Geerdink: “Ik hoor het Kardinaal Eijk nog zeggen in september vorig jaar tijdens een persoonlijk onderhoud in een lokale horecagelegenheid: Jullie worden snel schadeloos gesteld.” Inmiddels zijn zeven maanden verstreken en is er veel correspondentie over en weer. Maar er is nog geen geld.

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INDIANA
Today’s Catholic News

By Ann Carey

The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend has several important committees and/or boards that assist Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades in keeping the diocese running smoothly. One of the most crucial boards is one that many people don’t know much about because it conducts its business quietly in order to safeguard the privacy of the people and issues it handles.

In 2005, the U.S. Bishops approved a “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” that directed the establishment of a National Review Board as well as review boards at the diocesan level. The diocesan level review board is charged with advising the local bishop in his assessment of allegations of sexual abuse of minors by a priest or deacon of the diocese and in his determinations of suitability for ministry. It also reviews diocesan policies for dealing with sexual abuse of minors.

The Review Board for this diocese meets twice a year. Bishop Rhoades also consults board members in between regular meeting when appropriate. As the national charter directs, the diocese’s Review Board is made up mostly of lay people who have a variety of expertise (see sidebar).

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UNITED STATES
BishopAccountability.org

Summary of Case: A Jesuit priest of the Maryland Province, Bonacci was accused in April 2011 of having improperly touched a minor in Maryland between 1973-1982. A second person emerged with a similar accusation during the Province’s investigation of the first case.
Bonacci was permanently removed from ministry in June 2011 and was said to be living in a monitored Jesuit residence.

Ordained: 1973

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PORTUGAL
DN Portugal

O arquivamento pelo Ministério Público (MP) de denúncias sobre alegados casos de pedofilia na Igreja Católica “liberta” as instituições e os sacerdotes visados “de graves acusações”, disse hoje à Lusa o porta-voz da Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa (CEP).

As declarações do padre Manuel Morujão, que secretaria a CEP, entidade que integra os bispos católicos portugueses, surgem após o anúncio do MP de arquivar acusações feitas pela ex-provedora da Casa Pia, Catalina Pestana, e que envolviam pelo menos cinco sacerdotes da Diocese de Lisboa.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Evangelisch

In der evangelischen Kirche in Hamburg ist ein neuer Fall von sexuellem Missbrauch an einem Kind bekannt geworden.

Er soll sich schon vor fast 20 Jahren in der evangelischen Thomasgemeinde in Hausbruch ereignet haben, bestätigte Remmer Koch, Sprecher des Kirchenkreises Hamburg-Ost, am Dienstag dem epd. In Verdacht steht ein ehemaliger ehrenamtlicher Leiter des Posaunenchores der Gemeinde. Er soll mindestens einen Jungen missbraucht haben.

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DEUTSCHLAND
paperblog

Das Volksbegehren gegen Kirchenprivilegien ist geschei­tert. Laut vor­läu­fi­gem Endergebnis erreichte es 56.660 Unterschriften, wie das Innenministerium in der Nacht mit­teilte. Um erfolg­reich zu sein, hätte es 100.000 gebraucht. An die­ser Hürde schei­terte auch das par­al­lel lau­fende Volksbegehren „Demokratie jetzt“.

„Wir waren am Anfang eine Gruppe von viel­leicht zehn Leuten und so gut wie kei­nem Budget. Am Ende haben wir 56.660 Menschen in die­sem Land ange­spro­chen. Das ist doch etwas. Und unsere Anliegen, näm­lich dass Staat und Kirche getrennt gehö­ren, wer­den jetzt breit dis­ku­tiert.“. Andreas Rathmanner vom Organisationsbüro bringt die Stimmung in sei­ner Ansprache bei der „Wahlparty“ des Volksbegehrens Montagnacht ver­mut­lich am bes­ten auf den Punkt. Viele Unterstützer haben sich mehr erhofft. Mehr erwar­tet hat fast nie­mand

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NEW YORK
New York Post

By JULIA MARSH and AMBER SUTHERLAND
Last Updated: 7:54 AM, April 23, 2013

A Manhattan man haunted by the repeated sexual abuse he says he endured as a 13-year-old student at the elite Horace Mann School spoke publicly about the violations for the first time yesterday.

“The effects of that abuse on my life have been profound,” Ron Klepper, 48, said. “School was no longer a safe place to learn, but turned into a frightening place where a predator lurked.”

Klepper joined attorney Gloria Allred and five other victims at a press conference to call on the state Legislature to pass a bill to allow them to bring civil lawsuits against the Bronx prep school.

The victims, now in their 40s and 50s, want lawmakers to approve the Child Victims Act bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Queens).

It would provide a one-year window in the statute of limitations that now prevents adults who were sexually abused as kids from filing claims after they turn 23.

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VATICAN CITY
news.va

(Vatican Radio) “It is very important to preserve the prerogatives of the Successor of St Peter, the Pope and Bishop of Rome. He decides. We are there to help and be useful if we can, but we are nothing more than that”: these are the words of Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney Australia who is also a member of the select advisory group of prelates recently created by the Holy Father.

On Monday, following a private meeting with Pope Francis, Cardinal Pell visited Vatican Radio to talk about this appointment and about his new book entitled ‘Contemplating Christ with Luke’, a series of homilies on the figure of Christ according to the Gospel of St. Luke. Emer McCarthy asked Cardinal Pell to tell us more about the group of 8 Cardinals called to advise the Pope on questions of Church governance and reform of the Roman Curia:

“I can tell you what we are not. We are not a cabinet, the Pope does not answer to us. We are not a policy making group we are not an executive group. We are there as advisors to the Holy Father. Now, how that will work I am not quite sure. It might be that he will say ‘at these meetings we will be talking about these themes, in the interim you can get yourselves organized’. Or he just my say, ‘we’ll have half a day out of the three days where you can suggest what we can talk about’.

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