ABUSE TRACKER

A digest of links to media coverage of clergy abuse. For recent coverage listed in this blog, read the full article in the newspaper or other media source by clicking “Read original article.” For earlier coverage, click the title to read the original article.

December 1, 2015

Report to commission condemns Jehovah’s

AUSTRALIA
9 News

AAP

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia foster distrust of secular authorities and the church’s way of responding to child sex abuse falls short of best practice, it is open to the royal commission to find.

In a damning submission published on Tuesday, Angus Stewart SC, counsel to the child abuse commission, recommends 77 adverse findings against the fundamentalist church, which since 1950 has received 1066 allegations against its members and never reported any of them to police.

Mr Stewart’s recommendations arise out of a public hearing into the Jehovah’s Witnesses and its oversight body, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia, in July this year.

He said the Witnesses receive approximately three and four reports of allegations of child abuse a month.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Jehovah’s Witness group caned by abuse royal commission submission

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Tessa Akerman
Reporter
Melbourne

Counsel assisting the child sex abuse royal commission has made damning submissions of 77 potential findings regarding the Jehovah’s Witness organisation.

They include that the policy of shunning those who leave the organisation is in conflict with the belief that Jehovah God is a compassionate god.

In submissions published today, Angus Stewart SC said the Jehovah’s Witness organisation receives three to four reports of allegations of child sexual abuse each month and since 1950 the Jehovah’s Witness organisation has received allegations of child sexual abuse against 1006 of its members relating to at least 1800 victims.

He submitted in that period, the organisation has not reported a single allegation to the police or other authorities, even though 579 of those against whom allegations were made confessed to having committed child sexual abuse.

He submitted it was open for the commission to find that it is the policy and practice of the Jehovah’s Witness organisation in Australia not to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the police or other authorities unless required by law to do so.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Church welcomes England and Wales abuse inquiry

UNITED KINGDOM
Catholic Herald

by Madeleine Teahan
posted Tuesday, 1 Dec 2015

The Catholic Church has welcomed the launch of an independent inquiry into child sex abuse in England and Wales and will also set up a council to assist with inquiries.

The national inquiry will examine 12 different institutions and locations, including the Anglican Church, Rochdale Council and Westminster and will be chaired by Judge Lowell Goddard.

Baroness Nuala O’Loan will chair the Church council assisting the national inquiry, with other representatives from the Catholics Bishops’ Conference and the Conference of Religious.

Baroness O’Loan said: “The role of the council is to facilitate and ensure the proper response to the Enquiry, which has the Church’s full support. We look forward to hearing their specific requests and will ensure full co-operation with their deliberations.”

The 12 establishments which will be investigated are Lambeth Council; Nottinghamshire councils; Rochdale Council; the Anglican Church; the Catholic Church; custodial institutions; residential schools; the internet; child exploitation by organised networks; children outside of the UK; reparations for victims and survivors and Westminster.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

‘Spotlight’ on America’s Conscience: The Church, Jameis Winston and Refugees

UNITED STATES
Huffington Post

Kevin Walsh
Creator: MyMediaDiary.com, Media Educator, Video Producer of “Digging Detroit”

Michael Keaton’s character, Walter “Robbie” Robinson, in the newly-released Spotlight, is seeking Boston Globe confirmation of the Archdiocese cover-up for 70 priests involved in child molestation. He passes the list to his longtime friend and attorney, “We all knew something was going on.”

His friend kicks him out of his house and then follows Robbie into the street and asks him why he didn’t do anything — if he knew something was going on.

Robbie pauses and can only say, “I don’t know.”

Spotlight ‘s portrayal of the 2001 investigation by the Globe’s Spotlight unit (Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Brian d’Arcy James) is an excellent snapshot of an entire city looking the other way. When a representative of a survivor’s group brings his box of evidence to the Globe office and is asked, “Why now? Why hasn’t this been a bigger story before?” he informs them that he had already sent the box years earlier. The collective head-hanging matches that after his earlier question, if they were Catholic (not practicing).

“I don’t know” accurately sums up America’s foggy morals as it addresses refugees, gun-violence and college sexual assault while struggling, perhaps, to re-grow its conscience.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Royal Commission to hold public hearing into Church of England Boys’ Society

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

The Royal Commission will hold a public hearing commencing Wednesday 27 January 2016 at the Federal Court in Hobart.

The scope and purpose of the public hearing is to inquire into:

1. The experiences of survivors of child sexual abuse by lay people and/or clergy involved in or associated with the Church of England Boys’ Society.

2. The responses of the Church of England Boys’ Society and the Anglican Dioceses of Tasmania, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane to allegations of child sexual abuse made against lay people and/or clergy involved in or associated with the Church of England Boys’ Society, including Louis Daniels, Garth Hawkins, Robert Brandenberg, Simon Jacobs and John Elliott.

3. The systems, policies and procedures in place within the Church of England Boys’ Society and the Anglican Dioceses of Tasmania, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane in relation to:

— 1.youth camps and activities

— 2.raising and responding to concerns and complaints about child sexual abuse.

Any related matters.

Any person or institution who believes that they have a direct and substantial interest in the scope and purpose of the public hearing is invited to lodge a written application for leave to appear at the public hearing by 15 January 2016.

Applications for leave to appear should be made using the form available on the Royal Commission website.

Leave to appear will generally be granted when an applicant:

a. has been summoned to give evidence

b. is an institution, or is a representative of an institution, that is subject to the inquiry to be undertaken

c. may be the subject of an adverse allegation.

It is not essential for a person who will appear as a witness in a hearing to apply for leave to appear – witnesses may appear and give evidence without applying for leave.

The form should be lodged with the Royal Commission via:

Email: solicitor@childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au; or Mail: GPO Box 5283, Sydney NSW 2001.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Submissions for Jehovah’s Witnesses public hearing published

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

1 December, 2015

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has published the written submissions for the Jehovah’s Witnesses public hearing on its website.

The hearing, which commenced on 27 July this year in Sydney, inquired into Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd.

It heard from survivors of child sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses Church in Australia.

The submissions can be found on Case Study 29 page.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘fostered distrust’ of secular authority – royal commission counsel

AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Australian Associated Press
Tuesday 1 December 2015

A damning submission to the royal commission on child sexual abuse has recommended 77 adverse findings against the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia.

It was open to the commission to find the church fostered distrust of secular authorities and its response to child sexual abuse fell short of best practice, counsel to the commission Angus Stewart QC found in his submission, published on Tuesday.

Since 1950 the church has received 1,066 allegations against its members and did not report any of them to police.

Stewart’s recommendations arise out of a public hearing into the Jehovah’s Witnesses and its oversight body, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia, in July.

He said the Witnesses received about three or four reports of allegations of child abuse a month.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Sodalitium Christianae Vitae forms ethics commission amid investigation of founder

PERU
Catholic World Report

December 1, 2015

Lima, Peru, Dec 1, 2015 / 12:08 am (CNA).- The superior general of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae has announced the creation of an Ethics Commission for Justice and Reconciliation to assist and offer proposals amid investigations following accusations against its founder.

“In the last few weeks, we have seen with pain and shame the disclosure of credible accusations about the grave misconduct and abuse committed by Luis Fernando Figari and other members of the Sodalitium of Christian Life. These accusations need to be clarified,” said Alessandro Moroni Llabrés, superior general of the group, in a Nov. 25 statement.

“To ensure the highest level of rigor and impartiality in this task we have called together a group of professionals, recognized for their quality and independence, to be part of an Ethics Commission for Justice and Reconciliation. Its aim will be to review what has happened, offer the highest level of assistance possible for victims and to propose the necessary (actions).”

The new commission includes Manuel Sánchez-Palacios Paiva, former president of the National Jury of Elections and spokesman for the Peruvian Supreme Court; Rosario Fernández Figueroa, a lawyer and former president of the Peruvian Justice Council; Bishop Carlos Enrique García Camader of Lurin; Maíta García Trovato, a surgeon with a specialization in psychiatry, former general director of the Peruvian National Institute of Mental Health; and Miguel Humberto Aguirre, a journalist and director of content for the RPP Group.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Spotlight shines brightest at NY’s Gotham Awards

UNITED STATES
RTE (Ireland)

Best Film.

Spotlight also took the award for Best Screenplay (Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer), with its cast, which includes Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Stanley Tucci and Mark Ruffalo, sharing the previously announced Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble.

The film tells the true story of US newspaper The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team and their work in exposing the global cover-up of clerical sexual abuse by the Catholic Church. Directed by Tom McCarthy (The Visitor, The Station Agent), Spotlight will be released in Irish cinemas on January 29.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Diocese of Camden continues to focus on protection of Children

NEW JERSEY
Catholic Star Herald

From the Office of Child and Youth Protection

The children of South Jersey have always been and will always be among the primary concerns of the Diocese of Camden. Throughout our Catholic schools, religious education programs, and various diocesan and parish ministries, we remain committed and vigilant to protecting the children and youth that we serve.

Through the years, the diocese has actively engaged and improved our policies and procedures regarding the safety of all children. Efforts in this area were further strengthened by the publication of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002.

Using the charter as a guideline, the Diocese of Camden has been active in ensuring the safest possible environment for those entrusted to its care. Criminal history background checks based on the fingerprints of all those who have regular contact with children, child abuse prevention (CAP) training to both alert children to be watchful of potential abuse and adults to be on the lookout for it, and a Memorandum of Understanding with the New Jersey Attorney General to facilitate the immediate reporting of any abuse, are among the steps that have been taken to protect the young and the vulnerable.

Rod J. Herrera, a licensed clinical social worker and the director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection, has headed this office since it was established in 2004. “The protection of children is a group effort. It is not just this office, but parish safe environment coordinators, youth ministers, school principals and others, all working together with the guidance of this office to ensure the children entrusted to our care are safe,” he said.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Unholy secrets tumble out in sex abuse commission

AUSTRALIA
International Business Times

By Ritwik Roy @ritwikroy
December 01 2015

The royal commission has heard that a “paralysis” plagued the Catholic Church’s response to abuse allegation for decades and that made innocent children vulnerable to the dangers from paedophile priests. Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart appeared before the child abuse royal commission and blamed top church officials including Archbishop Frank Little for the situation. However, he did not criticize his predecessor Cardinal George Pell.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Archbishop Hart described processes followed by Melbourne Archdiocese as a “complete failure” when it came to dealing with paedophile issues. He also described the allegations referred to Doveton parish Catholic education officials as “just a horror story.”

“What is now apparent to me is that there was knowledge and a failure to act. I have just been totally appalled by the extent and the depravity of the offenders and the suffering and ruination of lives of the survivors,” he said.

In another shocking revelation, the commission has heard that in 1968, paedophile priest Father Wilfred “Bill” Baker had no qualms disclosing heartlessly the confessions of a 13-year-old altar boy BTU. He was an assistant priest at St Mary’s Parish and chaplain of St Mary’s Boys School in St Kilda East. Baker disclosed the child’s confessions to notorious paedophile priest Ronald Pickering so that he was abused more by the latter, reports The Guardian.

“By mentioning it to Fr Pickering, Fr Baker clearly had no hesitation in breaking the seal of my confession to him and also Fr Pickering appeared to be agitated and was clearly concerned about this,” said BTU.

BTU revealed that the abuse made him tremendously confused as a child as he was always taught how holy priests are and how they are just next to God. However, whatever Father Pickering was doing to him was not at all in line with Christian teachings. BTU was abused by Pickering till the age of 23 which broke him completely.

In 1976, predator priest Baker started sexually abusing a 12-year-old BTO while his parents were asleep in another room. He ultimately told his mother, an assistant priest in 1978. Forty years later, BTO is overwhelmed to see that someone (the royal commission) cares.

In 1999, Baker was convicted for sexually abusing BTO and seven other boys between 1960 and 1979. Although BTO’s family received $35,000 as compensation from archdiocese’s Melbourne Response scheme, it made him feel dirty.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Child abuse royal commission: Archbishop Denis Hart admits he was aware of complaints against abusive priest

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Danny Morgan

The Archbishop of Melbourne has admitted he should have done more to remove a violent priest who was alleged to have sexually abused children.

In 1996 Denis Hart received a complaint that Father Peter Searson, a parish priest, had hit a boy in the head.

Archbishop Hart told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that at the time, he would have checked Searson’s file and been aware of a long list of other complaints, including child sexual abuse.

However, he let Searson remain as parish priest in charge of a local primary school for another four months, only restricting his contact with altar boys.

Archbishop Hart told the hearing that in hindsight, more should have been done at the time.

Commission chair Justice Peter McClellan: You would have realised from the file it wasn’t just that group that was in danger, it was everyone?

Archbishop Denis Hart: I’d have to say that now, your honour, yes.

Justice McClellan: You didn’t realise that then?

Archbishop Hart: Well, I was relying very much on proper advice because there were a number of matters coming across the desk and I think I did what I thought at the time. On reflection, of course I’d have to say more should have been done.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.

Church cover-up of abuse wrong: Hart

AUSTRALIA
SBS

AAP

The Catholic Church buried child sex abuse complaints and engaged in a cover-up to protect its reputation, Melbourne’s archbishop says.

Archbishop Denis Hart says the church missed numerous chances to stop predatory pedophile priests.

He says his predecessor Frank Little endangered children by failing to act on credible information about abuse by Fr Wilfred Baker, Fr Nazareno Fasciale and Fr Ronald Pickering.

“(Baker is) an utterly appalling case of terrible sexual abuse and an example, along with Fasciale and Pickering, of the archbishop failing to act on credible information about criminal abuse by a priest,” Archbishop Hart said.

Priests were moved to another parish after abuse complaints and parishioners were not told the real reason they left, the child abuse royal commission heard.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.