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.

October 5, 2016

Canadian government claims residential school lawyer committed fraud over fees

CANADA
City News

BY JENNIFER GRAHAM, THE CANADIAN PRESS
POSTED OCT 4, 2016

REGINA – The Canadian government says a law firm that represented thousands of residential school survivors should have to pay back legal fees because it inflated its billings.

But the government’s argument that accuses the Merchant Law Group of fraud, deceit and misrepresentation won’t go any further unless Saskatchewan’s highest court agrees to reinstate the case.

Lawyers for Canada’s attorney general told the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal on Tuesday that the government would not have entered into an agreement a decade ago to pay the firm $25 million if it had known there were concerns about how much time the company spent working on residential school claims.

“What we’re saying is we wouldn’t have agreed to that amount if we had known the truth, so we want some damages for that,” lawyer Kelly Keenan told the three Appeal Court judges.

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.

Attorney General Madigan Urges Lawmakers to Eliminate Statutes of Limitations on Child Abuse Crimes

ILLINOIS
eNews Park Forest

Chicago —(ENEWSPF)–October 4, 2016. Attorney General Lisa Madigan today urged members of the Illinois Senate to pass legislation to eliminate the statutes of limitations for felony criminal sexual assault and sexual abuse crimes against children.

Madigan testified today before the Senate Criminal Law Committee’s Subcommittee on Statutes of Limitation, detailing the importance of eliminating Illinois’ statutes of limitations that can allow child predators to go unpunished. Joining Madigan in testifying were Scott Cross, a survivor, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly, Polly Poskin, the executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Barbara Blaine, president and founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), and Mark Parr, the executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County.

“Sex crimes against children are far too common and often have devastating, lifelong impacts,” Madigan said. “Children who suffer sexual assault and abuse often spend their entire lives recovering from the unimaginable crimes they have experienced. Illinois law must support these survivors by allowing them to report their crimes in their own time. We must ensure that survivors know that they will be taken seriously and justice will be pursued.”

Madigan explained that there are many reasons survivors of child sexual abuse are often unable to report their crimes to authorities until many years later, if they ever report them at all. Children may not reach an understanding that what has happened to them is a crime until decades later, or they may be under the control of the perpetrator or be physically, emotionally or financially dependent upon the abuser. Madigan said that the reporting delay is a sign of the lasting trauma and should not enable predators to avoid prosecution.

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.

GRANT AIMS TO TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN DEALING WITH SEX ASSAULT SURVIVORS

ILLINOIS
WLS

By Chuck Goudie
Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Sexual abuse victims in Illinois are expected to see a change in the way law enforcement responds to calls for help, the I-Team has learned.

New training procedures are being put in place for 911 operators, patrol officers and other responders — aimed at ensuring victims don’t suffer in silence — thanks to a new federal grant.

About 95 percent of sex crime victims never go to authorities, said Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. From teenage boys molested at the hands of a trusted coach or big name politician to women who are date raped, they are often silent victims.

“The numbers are pathetic when it comes to people who actually come forward,” Madigan said.

Nearly 400 rapes are reported to police every month in Illinois, an astonishingly large number that at the same time is incredibly small because most victims don’t report the crime.

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.

Excavation begins on Tuam Home ‘burial site’

IRELAND
Galway Independent

Excavations works on the site of an unofficial graveyard at the former Tuam Mother and Baby Home began on Saturday and will continue for five weeks.

A sample of the site will be excavated by a team of specialist archaeologists led by a Forensic Archaeologist, on behalf of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, which is investigating former homes around the country.

The Tuam investigation comes as a result of research by Tuam historian Catherine Corless, which revealed that 796 children died at the former Bon Secours home between 1925 and 1961.

The excavation works follow on from a geophysical survey ordered by the Commission in October 2015. A fraction of the site will now be excavated through test trenches, the location of which have been informed by a geophysical survey.

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.

‘I ask for forgiveness’: Ottawa priest makes courtroom apology for molesting boys

CANADA
Sudbury Star

By Joe Lofaro
Tuesday, October 4, 2016

A former Ottawa priest convicted of molesting three boys more than 40 years ago turned to face his victims and say, for the first time, that he was sorry for what he did, but not before two of them walked out of the courtroom.

Jacques Faucher — who turned 80 last week — appeared to deliver an offhand and long-winded apology at his sentencing hearing Tuesday that acknowledged the “scandal” he caused within the Catholic Church.

The former priest was convicted of six counts of indecent assault and gross indecency on boys aged nine to 13 from the former Notre-Dame-des-Anges parish near Tunney’s Pasture. The crimes were committed from 1969 to 1974.

The victims all told a similar story: Faucher would invite the boys to sit on his knee in private to pray or to watch hockey. Court heard that he admitted to police that he had been sexually excited in these encounters, and that he sometimes ejaculated in his pants.

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.

October 4, 2016

New report notes risks for victims, perpetrators and institutions

AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

5 October, 2016

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has released a literature review examining international evidence of risk and protective factors for child sexual abuse in institutional contexts.

Royal Commission acting CEO Marianne Christmann said the study reviewed more than 400 documents primarily comprised of research studies. The report considers risk and protective factors in relation to victims, perpetrators and institutions.

Risk Profiles for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse: A literature review noted that many children spend a significant amount of time in institutional settings, and while some children were more vulnerable than others, all children are inherently vulnerable to child sexual abuse in institutional settings when a motivated perpetrator is present.

“The child’s age has been identified as a factor influencing the risk of child sexual abuse in institutional contexts. Children aged between about 9 and 15 appear to be at higher risk, though this may depend on the institution type children attend” Ms Christmann said.

The report revealed there was no profile of a ‘typical’ sex offender, and noted offenders differed in their motivations and behaviours.

“Risk factors identified in relation to sexual offenders generally include deviant sexual interests, distorted attitudes about sex, and poor social skills,” Ms Christmann said.

“A number of broad conceptual categories of perpetrator motivation were identified, including the need for power and control, sexual motivation and personality deficits,” Ms Christmann said.

The review also noted that screening processes by institutions were not as effective as widely believed, as many perpetrators have no criminal history or their criminal history does not involve sexual offences, meaning they would pass through a criminal background check.

“Research also shows that the characteristics of an institution may increase the risk of staff members committing sexual crimes against children,” Ms Christmann said.

“These characteristics could include the physical condition of the facility, a lack of child safety policies and procedures, and poor training and supervision of staff,” Ms Christmann said.

The review was undertaken by international researchers Professor Keith Kaufman and Marcus Erooga.

This material will inform the Royal Commission’s recommendations to better protect children in institutions from child sexual abuse.

Read the full report.

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.

AK-Survivors disappointed in the Vatican’s choice for Anchorage’s new bishop

ALASKA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)

We’re disappointed in the Vatican’s choice for Anchorage’s new bishop Paul D. Etienne of Cheyenne, Wyoming (replacing Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz).

Etienne has shown no leadership whatsoever in the church’s continuing child sex abuse and cover up crisis.

[Catholic Standard]

For years, Etienne has continued to honor a predatory bishop, Bishop Joseph Hart, against whom at least six child sex abuse lawsuits have settled, Hart’s name graces a children’s home in Torrington Wyoming.

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.

MN–Serial predator priest is finally defrocked; Victims respond

MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Monday, Oct. 3, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)

A Minnesota priest who was first accused of molesting kids has finally, decades later, been defrocked by Vatican officials. He began abusing youngsters within months of being ordained, continues to deny any wrongdoing and continues to live in the Twin Cities.

[Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis]

Instead of being honest about what Fr. Joseph L. Wajda did, Twin Cities Archbishop Bernard Hebda said did what Catholic officials have done for decades. He minimized child sexual abuse and kept Catholics and citizens in the dark using deliberately vague language.

We hope the defrocking of Fr. Wajda will bring some comfort to his victims. But Hebda’s duty doesn’t end here.

Kids are safest when child molesters are jailed. So Hebda must go to every parish where Fr. Wajda worked and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call police. He must spread the same message through clear and repeated notices in parish bulletins, on church websites and in pulpit announcements, prodding those with information or suspcions to call law enforcement. That’s what a truly caring shepherd would do.

Catholic bishops can’t recruit, educate, ordain, transfer and shield predator priests and then suddenly walk away – saying “He’s not our guy anymore” – and let parents, police, prosecutors and the public fend for themselves. Hebda and his staff, knowing what Fr. Wajda has done, have a duty to help prod others who could put this predator behind bars behind bars.

And Hebda should turn over every shred of information he has about Fr. Wajda to police. He should insist that every other Minnesota cleric should do the same, whether they have actual knowledge or just suspicions about this predator.

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.

VA–Vatican names new northern VA bishop; Victims respond

VIRGINIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com)

We’re disappointed in the Vatican’s choice for Arlington’s new bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, North Carolina (who replaces Bishop Paul S. Loverde). Burbidge has shown no leadership whatsoever in the church’s continuing child sex abuse and cover up crisis.

[Catholic Standard]

In 2013, Burbidge ignored us when we begged him to warn his flock about Fr. Raymond Melville, a credibly accused predator priest from Maine who now lives in North Carolina.

[SNAP]

Just last year, Burbidge tried to deny a child sex abuse victim his day in court.

[SNAP]

Thirty US bishops have posted predators’ names on church websites. Burbidge refuses to take this simple, inexpensive, common sense step to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded.

Often, when a Catholic official retires and is replaced, many parishioners and parents assume the new guy will be better than the old guy when it comes to children’s safety. That’s a reckless assumption. Complacency endangers kids. Continued vigilance protects kids.

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.

Theresa May dismisses claims her child sex abuse inquiry is ‘too broad’ – but Amal Clooney says departure of top lawyer has left a ‘huge gap’ that will be hard to fill

UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail

By MATT DATHAN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT FOR MAILONLINE

Theresa May dismissed claims her troubled probe into child abuse is too broad in its scope but faced criticism from Amol Clooney over the handling of the investigation’s lawyers.

Mrs Clooney, a human rights lawyer, said the departure of the inquiry’s senior lawyer Ben Emmerson QC had left a ‘huge gap’ that would be difficult to fill.

Mr Emmerson quit the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) 24 hours after he was suspended by chairwoman Alexis Jay over concerns about his leadership, but the inquiry has refused to release any further details for the barrister’s suspension.

Junior counsel Elizabeth Prochaska sent the inquiry further into crisis on Friday when she announced she had also quit the inquiry. The investigation is now under its fourth chair.

Mrs Clooney, a friend of Mr Emmerson, lavished praise on him and highlighted the problems his departure has created.

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.

Former Youth Pastor Arrested On Child Seduction Charges

INDIANA
WBIW

Updated October 4, 2016 8

(MITCHELL) – A Mitchell man was arrested Friday after police say he made sexual advances against a teenage girl while he was a youth minister at Mitchell Church of Christ.

Police arrested 45-year-old Gary Spear on a felony charge of child seduction.

According to a Lawrence County Superior Court II probable cause affidavit, on May 2 a woman reported to the Lawrence County Police Department that she had been assaulted by Spear. The incidents happened between 2011 and 2013 when she was between 16 and 18 years old.

In 2010, the teen was receiving counseling from Spear because her parents were getting a divorce. The victim told police that the alleged incidents happened during those weekly counseling sessions when Spear was the youth minister at Mitchell Church of Christ.

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.

Lawsuit settlement terms – No ministry, no access to youth for Jeyapaul in India

MINNESOTA
Crookston Times

By Jess Bengtson

A settlement for the first-ever nuisance lawsuit against an overseas Diocese was announced Monday in a St. Paul press conference which involved sexual abuse survivor Megan Peterson, who was abused as a minor by Father Joseph Jeyapaul when he worked in the Diocese of Crookston in 2005.

In 2015, after his extradition from India, Jeyapaul pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct involving a minor in Minnesota. On January 16, 2016, with the permission of Pope Francis, Bishop Amalraj of India lifted the suspension of Jeyapaul and allowed him to return to ministry. Megan Peterson filed a federal lawsuit on April 18, 2016 alleging nuisance against the Diocese of Ootacamund for returning Jeyapaul to active ministry and exposing innocent children in India to Jeyapaul’s predatory ways, said a release from Jeff Anderson and Associates of St. Paul.

During Monday’s press conference, which included Barbara Blaine and Peter Isley of S.N.A.P. (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), Megan and Jeff Anderson announced that the Diocese in India agreed that Jeyapaul will not be allowed to return to any kind of ministry, to not have access to any youth or young persons in India and that Jeyapaul’s faculties to minister will be taken away. They have also agreed to provide Peterson with status updates on Jeyapaul every year like where he is living and what he is doing, and will continue to provide these updates until they have no power over him.

“Because of Megan’s voice and courage this unprecedented outcome has been achieved,” said Anderson. “She has brought this case not just to Minnesota and not just to the Diocese in India, but across that nation and to the Vatican.”

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.

AUSTRALIAN SEX ABUSE COMMISSION MUST NOT LECTURE ON STRUCTURE, THEOLOGY OR DOCTRINE

AUSTRALIA
The Tablet (UK)

04 October 2016 | by Mark Brolly

Respected Jesuit priest and law professor issues reminder that Catholic Church is not a government department

Australian sex abuse commission must not lecture on structure, theology or doctrine
Australia’s long-running federal inquiry into child sexual abuse should not “trespass on the holy ground of religious belief and practice”, Jesuit priest and law professor Fr Frank Brennan has warned.

Brennan, Professor of Law at Australian Catholic University, told the Freedom for Faith conference in Melbourne on 23 September that the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which has announced a “wrap-up” hearing into the Catholic Church for February 2017, “will need to be very careful about taking on the mantle of royal commission infallibility and lecturing to the Church about its structure, theology and doctrine in light of contemporary secular Australian notions of truth and right”.

The Royal Commission, which was announced by then Prime Minister Julia Gillard in November 2012 and began work in early 2013, is to conclude with the delivery of its final report in December 2017.

Fr Brennan said he welcomed the assistance of the state to put the Church’s house in order as the repeated evidence before the Commission had convinced him that the Church had been in serious disrepair, putting at risk many victims who could have been spared lives of living hell if only appropriate safeguards had been in place.

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.

THIS ABUSE INQUIRY WAS DOOMED TO FAIL

UNITED KINGDOM
Spiked

LUKE GITTOS
LAW EDITOR

Public inquiries should be about truth, not giving people ‘closure’.

he Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) is in crisis yet again. Over the past seven days, three high-profile members of the legal team have resigned. First, Ben Emmerson QC, who resigned as lead counsel to the inquiry last week, shortly after he was suspended. It was rumoured that Emmerson left due to irreconcilable tensions with the new chair, Professor Alexis Jay. Elizabeth Prochaska resigned shortly after. Then, earlier this week, Abigail Bright followed. This follows the resignation of the IICSA’s old chair, Lowell Goddard, two months ago.

Criticism of the inquiry has been growing since Goddard’s departure. It is now broadly accepted that its remit, which anticipates an investigation into 13 separate areas of public life, is impossibly wide. Before her departure, Goddard suggested it could run for over 10 years. Senior lawyer David Pannick QC remarked that the IICSA was ‘obviously unmanageable when it was set up’, and that ‘everything that has happened since has confirmed that’. So far, £14.7million has been spent, and it has achieved close to nothing. This includes £3million in lawyers’ bills, racked up before any formal investigation had even begun.

Pannick is right to say this inquiry was doomed from the outset. But there is an important lesson to be learned here, one which almost everyone involved is ignoring. Its remit was broad because it was established solely to satisfy the emotional needs of ‘survivors’ – the term used for those making complaints. Public inquiries that abandon the aspiration to objectivity and impartiality will inevitably unravel. Allowing particular interest groups to yield disproportionate influence over an investigation is a recipe for disaster.

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.

There are too many abusers like Dennis Hastert, victim tells Senate panel

ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune

Christy Gutowski
Chicago Tribune

For nearly 40 years, as his former high school wrestling coach rose to great political heights, Scott Cross tried to bury the abuse he survived as a teenage boy by a man he trusted and admired.

On Tuesday, speaking before an Illinois Senate criminal law panel in Chicago, Cross went from a victim to an advocate in urging legislation that gets rid of the deadlines for prosecuting more than two dozen felony crimes involving sexual offenses against children.

He joined Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in supporting the proposal, which was sparked by the federal prosecution of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

In the Hastert case, prosecutors cited the expired statute of limitations as the reason they prosecuted him on banking law violation charges rather than for inappropriately touching several underage boys, including Cross, decades ago when Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School.

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.

Canadian bishops to update their policies on abuse prevention

CANADA
Catholic Register

BY DEBORAH GYAPONG, CANADIAN CATHOLIC NEWS
October 4, 2016

CORNWALL, Ontario – Canada’s bishops are finalizing new policies to better protect minors against sex abuse.

At their annual plenary Sept. 26-30 in Cornwall, the bishops approved, in principle, a new document on preventing sexual abuse and protecting minors, “Moving Towards Healing and Renewal – The Canadian Experience.” The document offers some guidelines to help the dioceses better manage allegations of sex abuse by members of the clergy, as well as to contribute to the healing of the victims of abuse by priests or men religious.

Archbishop Anthony Mancini of Halifax-Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, who heads the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on the Protection of Minors, said the new document updates the Canadian bishops’ 1992 document, “From Pain to Hope,” and aligns the bishops with standards put out by the Vatican.

Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton, Ontario, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, said experience in this area “is so much broader now and so much deeper. This will present a lot more information along the lines of ‘From Pain to Hope,’ but updated.”

Bishops now have a chance to review the text and send in suggestions and corrections. Bishop Crosby said he expects that if no major changes are required, the document will be approved in November at the next meeting of the CCCB’s Permanent Council and published in early 2017.

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.

New bishop of Diocese of Arlington vows to reach out to sex abuse victims

VIRGINIA
WTOP

By Neal Augenstein | @AugensteinWTOP
October 4, 2016

ARLINGTON, Va. — Bishop Michael Burbidge, newly-appointed Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, vows to personally reach out to victims of clergy sexual abuse, and “to accompany them in this process of healing.”

In a news conference with outgoing Bishop Paul Loverde, 76, who has led the Diocese since 1999, Burbidge, most recently the bishop in Raleigh, says he has been aware of Loverde’s outreach to victims.

In 2004, Loverde celebrated the first of a series of healing masses, deeply apologizing for the pain inflicted on victims, and “for not seeing more deeply and fully the horrendous evil” of the abuse.

In response to a question, Burbidge, 59, said he intends to speak with victims, “to listen to them, to pray with them, and to accompany them in this process of healing, which we know is ongoing.”

“I assure you, and I assure the victims and their families, that I will continue this great work,” said Burbidge.

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.

Editorial: A ‘retro’ look at the battle of House Bill 1947

PENNSYLVANIA
Daily Times

Retro or not retro.

No, we’re not talking about the latest fashion craze.

We’re talking about serious legislation that would change the way Pennsylvania deals with child sexual abuse.

Last spring the Pennsylvania House voted overwhelmingly 180-15 in favor of House Bill 1947. The measure would eliminate the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases, and also extend the window of opportunity for victims to file civil actions against their abusers.

Under current Pennsylvania law, victims have 12 years after they turn 18 to file a lawsuit against their abuser. In other words, to age 30. House Bill 1947 would extend that window another 32 years, to age 50.

But a controversial amendment to the legislation offered by Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks County, would make that provision retroactive, meaning victims from as far back as the 1970s could still get their day in court today.

The retroactive language was bitterly opposed by the insurance industry, the National Catholic Conference and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput sent a letter that was read in every parish in the archdiocese slamming the measure as no less than an attack on the church, warning of dire consequences if it became law, and urging parishioners to contact their state senators to oppose it when it came up in that chamber. They made the argument that the law unfairly targets private institutions – in other words the Catholic Church – as opposed to public organizations. Chaput warned of possible church closures, layoffs and cuts in social services should the measure become law.

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.

POPULAR BISHOP DENIES BEING IN CYBER SEX VIDEO

BAHAMAS
Turks & Caicos Sun

By Hayden Boyce, Editor-in-Chief•Mon, Oct 03, 2016

Bishop Coleta Williams, one of the most popular and influential church leaders in the Turks and Caicos Islands, has flatly denied that he’s the naked man who is seen having cyber sex in a shocking video that has gone viral on social media world-wide.

Although Williams, the head of the popular Abundant Life Ministries International, did not made any media statements on the matter, The SUN can confirm that he told members of his church last week, that he was being framed, that persons associated with the video wanted to extort money from him, and that the disturbing video was the end product of high-tech, sophisticated editing.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is aware of the video and there’s a possibility that detectives will question Williams about it.

During and after Bishop Williams’ meeting at the Leeward Highway church on Wednesday, September 23rd, some of the members cried openly, while others left in shock, shame, disbelief and doubt.

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.

Indian diocese removes predator priest in settlement with U.S. victim of sexual abuse

MINNESOTA
New York Daily News

BY
MICHAEL O’KEEFFE
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, October 4, 2016

A sexual abuse survivor has scored an unprecedented victory against the Catholic Church, with an Indian diocese removing a predator priest who’d been shockingly reinstated after assaulting the woman when she was a teen in the U.S.

Officials in the Diocese of Ootacamund are removing Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul from the ministry and barring him from working with children. In a legal settlement, the diocese also agreed to provide sex abuse survivor Megan Peterson, formerly of Queens, with annual updates on the whereabouts and activities of Jeyapaul, the priest she says assaulted her when she was a teenager. She’d sued the diocese in federal court upon learning of Jeyapaul’s reinstatement.

The settlement marks the first time a foreign diocese has agreed to take responsibility for a predator priest after he left the U.S., said sex-abuse attorney Jeff Anderson.

“This is such a step forward for the survivors movement as a whole,” Peterson said following a press conference in St. Paul announcing the settlement Monday.

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Assignment Record– Rev. L. Joseph Obersinner, S.J.

UNITED STATES
BishopAccountability.org

Summary of Case: L. Joseph Obersinner was ordained for the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus in 1957. He spent many years as an Indian missionary in Omak WA in the Diocese of Spokane and at St. Ignatius Mission in the Diocese of Helena MT. He was also assigned to parishes in the Archdiocese of Portland OR, and the Diocese of Boise ID. In the late 1990s or early 2000s he retired to the Regis Jesuit Community in Spokane.

Obersinner’s name was included on the Helena diocese’s list posted to its website in April 2015 of clerics with allegations against them of sexual abuse of at least one minor.

Ordained: 1957

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.

Lujan demands apology from Terlaje

GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Oct 04, 2016

By Krystal Paco

The attorney representing Monsignor James Benavente not only wants the complaint against his client withdrawn, but wants an apology letter, as well. In a letter from Attorney David Lujan to Attorney Jacque Terlaje on Monday, he threatens to take legal steps should she fail to comply.

Last Friday, Attorney Terlaje signed off on a resolution by the Catholic Cemeteries board to file a complaint with the Guam Police Department for the misuse of over $13,000 in church funds for Monsignor Benavente’s 20th anniversary dinner in 2014.

In a press conference on Monday, the church cleared monsignor’s name a second time and noted the resolution was not by unanimous consent of all board members, nor was there authorization from the church to release the confidential documents.

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.

Pope names successors to retiring Alaska archbishop, Arlington bishop

ALASKA/VIRGINIA
Catholic Standard

Catholic News Service
Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz of Anchorage, Alaska, and appointed Bishop Paul D. Etienne of Cheyenne, Wyoming, to be his successor.

Pope Francis also accepted the resignation of Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington, Virginia, and named as his successor Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, North Carolina.

The changes were announced Oct. 4 in Washington by Msgr. Walter Erbi, the charge d’affaires at the apostolic nunciature to the United States.

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.

Sexual Abuse and Coverup in the Diocese of Gallup

NEW MEXICO
KSFB

Part I of II

The story of the movie Spotlight is the story of clergy sexual abuse and its coverup by the Roman Catholic church in Boston. The similar story of the Diocese of Gallup tells a decades-long history of clergy sexual abuse in a very different place– large rural swaths of the southwest and Native American communities in particular. In Part I of our two-part story, Ellen Berkovitch speaks with journalist Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola of the Gallup Independent and the National Catholic Reporter about conditions that facilitated predatory behavior.

Part II of II: Sexual Abuse and Coverup in the Diocese of Gallup

In this second of our two-part story, we bring you a conversation with Sybil, a survivor of the Diocese of Gallup sexual abuse. Sybil was also a member of the unsecured creditors’ committee that negotiated commitments from the Gallup Diocese to meet non-monetary provisions as a condition of its bankruptcy reorganization.

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.

Editorial: The Bishop’s Missed Opportunity

NEW MEXICO
Gallup Independent

Editorial with Letter to the Editor response

Published in the Gallup Independent, Gallup, N.M., Sept. 28, 2016

Bishop James S. Wall passed up a perfect opportunity Saturday. He was given the chance to show the community and members of the Diocese of Gallup that he is committed to being transparent about clergy sexual abuse that took place, diocesan policies to protect children and efforts to support abuse survivors.

A panel discussion, centered on the subject of protecting children from sex abuse, was held at El Morro Theatre in conjunction with screenings of “Spotlight,” the film that won the 2016 Academy Award for Best Picture and told the story of the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer-prize winning investigation into clergy sex abuse and cover-up in the Archdiocese of Boston.

One might think that, because the Gallup Diocese is concluding its Chapter 11 reorganization case in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the bishop would be ready to begin talking with local Catholics and the general public about this fresh start. But if you thought that, you would be wrong.

Wall was invited to be a panel member Saturday to share his perspective as bishop of the diocese. In the event he could not attend, Wall was invited to send a representative or at least provide a statement. He chose to do neither. Wall cited the diocese’s priest retreat, held earlier that week in Tucson, as the reason no one from the diocese would attend. So even though the Redemptorist Renewal Center’s website indicated the retreat ended Friday, no one from the diocese could return to Gallup by Saturday?

Whether the Gallup bishop is ready or not, the non-monetary provisions the Diocese of Gallup negotiated as part of its reorganization plan commit Wall to a number of actions whereby he will have to begin interacting with abuse survivors, Catholics in the pews and the general public.

Wall is supposed to start visiting every Catholic school and parish where abuse occurred or where an abuser served, with the bishop’s schedule being publicized at least 30 days in advance on the diocese’s website and its Voice of the Southwest publication. During those visits, according to the non-monetary provisions, the bishop “shall provide a forum/discussion during his visit to address questions and comments.”

Based on the diocese’s own list of credibly accused abusers, which continues to be an incomplete and inaccurate list, it is a very long itinerary of schools and parishes.

In Arizona, it includes Cibecue, Chinle, Concho, Fort Defiance, Holbrook, Lukachukai, McNary, Overgaard, Pinetop, Show Low, Snowflake, Springerville, St. Johns, St. Michaels, Tuba City and Winslow. In New Mexico, it includes Aragon, Blanco, Bloomfield, Bluewater, Cebolleta, Chichitah, Crownpoint, Cuba, Cubero, Farmington, Flora Vista, Gallup, Grants, Lumberton, Pinehaven, San Fidel, San Rafael, Shiprock and Thoreau.

When is the Gallup bishop going to begin these visits?

There is no indication on the diocesan website or Voice of the Southwest that even the first visit has been scheduled.

What is the bishop waiting for? Saturday’s panel discussion would have been an ideal forum for the bishop to kick off those public visits.

In addition, the panel discussion was a public relations opportunity for the Diocese of Gallup. A number of abuse survivors attended the event, some accompanied by family members, along with local Catholics and the general public. If Wall or one of his representatives had attended, they would have had the opportunity to present the diocese’s perspective with humility, compassion and grace.

But by skipping the invitation, Gallup’s bishop missed a perfect opportunity. He missed the opportunity to show the public he truly is a courageous spiritual leader, worthy of the position he holds.

In this space only does the opinion of the Gallup Independent Editorial Board appear

————-

Response of Diocese of Gallup’s Director of Communication, Published Oct. 1, 2016:

Letters to the editor

Diocese of Gallup has strong commitment to safety of children

To the editor,

I’m writing in response to the recent editorial, “The Bishop’s missed opportunity,” in hopes of clearing up some of the misinformation contained therein.

Mrs. Hardin-Burrola states she wanted to bring the showing of “Spotlight” to Gallup to help foster a discussion on preventing abuse in our community. If this truly was her intention, it must be applauded. We appreciated the invitation to participate, but as was made clear to her, the showing fell during the same week as our priests’ retreat in Tucson. Further administrative duties required our Bishop to stay through the next day, and the priests who returned had a week’s worth of work waiting for them. The needs of our parishioners take priority, and while we recognize the importance of public discussion, we are not at the beck and call of the Independent.

The article describing the event and the follow-up editorial both presume that adequate changes have not been made by the Diocese in taking steps to curtail abuse. This is untrue, but I will assume these statements were made in ignorance, and not from any willful distortion of the facts.

If Mrs. Hardin-Burrola truly wishes to promote healing, then this is a laudable goal. But her contribution has, thus far, been through words. This is not to disparage journalism – the events portrayed in “Spotlight” show just how vital truthful journalism is to our society. But a journalist does not get to determine how an organization is run. True and lasting change instead comes from heeding the guidance of professionals, which is just what the Diocese of Gallup does. We continually work with various entities including law enforcement, court systems, and licensed counselors. Our commitment to the safety of children is strong enough that many of the major non-monetary terms of the settlement had already been standard practice for the Diocese for years. This includes reporting abuse. Whenever an allegation is brought to the Bishop, Diocesan officials or employees, it is reported to proper authorities, and the Diocese willingly cooperates with all investigations. This includes a series of healing services, which will be announced publicly when the schedule is finalized. If Mrs. Hardin-Burrola had contacted us about this, instead of speculating in the editorial, we would have happily provided her with information.

To Mrs. Hardin-Burrola and to the public: We are on the same side. None of us has escaped the impact of the abuse scandal. All of us want to work to keep our churches and communities safe for children and other vulnerable people. When the Diocese does not take advantage of a public opportunity to state our commitment, it does not mean that we are not working, each and every day, to rectify the sins of the past. And just because we do not undertake this work in exactly the way a reporter demands does not mean we are deaf to the voices of our brothers and sisters, especially those who have survived abuse.

Suzanne Hammons, Director of communications
Diocese of Gallup

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Maronite priest jailed over sex assault

AUSTRALIA
7 News

Andi Yu – AAP on October 4, 2016

A victim of sexual assault fist-pumped his supporters in a Sydney court as the Maronite priest convicted of abusing him was led away into custody.

The 40-year-old clergyman had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the victim in 2005 but was found guilty by a jury earlier this year.

On Tuesday at the Campbelltown District Court the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to a minimum jail term of 12 months.

But, no sooner had judge Penelope Wass delivered the sentence, the priest’s defence Greg James QC told the court that papers had been lodged to appeal against the conviction.

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Former priest Robert Claffey jailed for 18 years for sexually abusing children

AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Charlotte King

A former Ballarat priest has been jailed for more than 18 years for sexually abusing a dozen children in south-west Victoria over several decades.

Robert Claffey, 73, was sentenced today after earlier pleading guilty to 19 charges.

His charges related to sexual abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat, and involved boys and girls aged between five and 14.

Claffey served as a priest for 25 years in Ballarat, Warrnambool, Apollo Bay and Portland.

In sentencing, Judge Felicity Hampel told the court Claffey had acted with impunity, abusing his position of power in what she called a truly appalling litany of offences.

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Remorseless paedophile Catholic priest Robert Claffey to die in jail over decades-long child abuse spree

AUSTRALIA
Courier Mail

Shannon Deery, Herald Sun
October 4, 2016

A REMORSELESS paedophile priest who preyed on children over three decades is likely to die behind bars after being jailed for 18 years and four months.

Robert Claffey has been compared with Australia’s worst paedophile priest, Gerald Ridsdale, who he worked alongside in the Catholic Church’s Ballarat diocese.

Like Ridsdale he was today condemned to spend what is expected to be the rest of his life behind bars with his lawyer saying ill health could make his jail term a death sentence.

Claffey must serve a minimum non parole period of 13 years and four months in jail for the abuse of 12 kids, meaning he will be 86 before becoming eligible for parole.

In total the disgraced priest has now admitted molesting 14 kids during his career, first raping a young girl less than a year after his 1969 ordination.

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Vic pedophile priest jailed for 18 years

AUSTRALIA
9 News

A Catholic priest who sexually abused 12 Victorian children over decades in a “shameful and protracted abuse of his authority” has been jailed for 18 years and four months – with a minimum of 13 years and four months.

Robert Patrick Claffey, 73, attacked in 1969 a seven-year-old girl who was preparing for her first communion in the first of “a truly appalling litany of offending” during which he exploited his position of trust.

Claffey went on to assault altar boys and children making preparations for religious ceremonies until 1992.

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Wounds of sexual abuse run deep, psychologist says

PENNSYLVANIA
Daily Times

By Kathleen E. Carey, Delaware County Daily Times

Many psychologists contend there are long-term impacts of childhood sexual abuse. Some individuals are able to overcome them. Some do not.

Dr. Richard B. Gartner is a New York psychotherapist and psychoanalyst who specializes in treating men who are childhood sexual abuse survivors. He is the author of several books, including “Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life After Boyhood Sexual Abuse.”

He has testified in New York and in New Jersey about the need to change the statutes of limitations in sex abuse cases. He’s written about the prolonged effects the crime has on men, although he explained the variety of outcomes is as wide as the number of individuals impacted.

Childhood sexual abuse is a worldwide problem that garnered much focus here in the United States in 2002 when the Archdiocese of Boston faced national exposure for the abuse and concealment there. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia came under scrutiny as the result of two grand jury reports, one in 2005 and another in 2011, that linked more than 60 priests with abusing dozens of minors over decades. Since then, legislative efforts have emerged to deal with the crisis.

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Cardinal Timothy Dolan shows support for sex abuse victims, but opposes law that allows them to sue predators

NEW YORK
New York Daily News

[with video]

BY
CHELSIA MARCIUS
GLENN BLAIN
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, October 3, 2016

HURLEY, N.Y. — Timothy Cardinal Dolan wants to be an ally of those seeking justice for victims of child sex abuse — but he doesn’t support their bill.

During a visit to a Catholic high school near upstate Kingston on Monday, Dolan was greeted by about 10 protesters calling on him to back legislation — known as The Child Victims Act — that would remove the statute of limitations on cases of child sex abuse and allow a one-year look-back window for victims to revive old civil cases.

“If they’re protesting (for) the rights of young people who have been sexually abused, they should count me as an ally not an enemy,” Dolan said.

Dolan, however, cited the church’s support for another bill — sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Staten Island) and Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) — that would remove the statute of limitations but does not open a look-back window.

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Father Wehmann at St. Olaf

MINNESOTA
Canonical Consultation

Jennifer Haselberger

Many people have written to me regarding Father Mark Wehmann’s appearance on the liturgy schedule at St. Olaf in Minneapolis.

Father Wehmann’s personnel file, which outlines the reasons for his removal from ministry in December of 2013, is available online by following this link:

[Anderson Advocates]

Archbishop Hebda announced that Father Wehmann would be returning to ministry in June of 2016, noting that Father Wehmann had “engaged in extended professional counselling and spiritual direction.”

What is drawing less attention, but perhaps is deserving of even more, is the fact Father Thomas Rayar was recently appointed pastor of the Church of St. Margaret Mary. For those who have forgotten, Father Rayar left a previous pastorate after suing eleven of his parishioners. An account of what led to his resignation appears in an article from a 2008 issue of the Star Tribune. However, it is worth noting that the Archdiocese, far from concluding “that the rumor [of an affair] is false,” as Rayar’s lawyer stated. was still investigating when I started in August of 2008, and continued to do so until at least 2012. At that time the conclusion was far from favorable to Father Rayar.

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Priest to be barred in India following ‘unprecedented’ settlement in favor of Minnesota sexual abuse victim

MINNESOTA
Duluth News Tribune

By Andrew Haffner, Forum News Service

CROOKSTON, Minn.—A Minnesota survivor of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest has won a settlement in federal court to prevent her abuser, who was suspended but not removed from the ministry, from carrying out similar crimes in his home country of India.

But in a Monday press conference, survivor Megan Peterson questioned the church mechanisms that allowed her abuser, Father Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, to possibly return to the ministry after being convicted for his crimes against her in the U.S.

Peterson said the legal win is “not enough.”

“I can take this as a victory today, and I think the children of India can take this as a victory, but the question is why the Vatican reinstated him, a convicted felon?” she asked. “That question is left unanswered.”

Peterson filed her lawsuit in the federal district court of Minnesota alleging nuisance against Jeyapaul, Indian Bishop Arulappan Almaraj and the Diocese of Ootacamund, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on April 18 after she learned the Catholic Church had lifted its suspension of Jeyapaul—allowing him to be reassigned despite his sexual abuse conviction in the U.S.

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October 3, 2016

Protesters crash Cardinal Dolan’s visit to local school

NEW YORK
Times Herald-Record

By Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record

TOWN OF ULSTER – Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic Archbishop of New York, held Mass at John A. Coleman Catholic High School on Monday as victims’ rights advocates protested outside.

The main purpose of Dolan’s visit was to bless the chapel, which was destroyed by a flood in February and has been rebuilt and renovated with more than $40,000 of improvements.

Coleman, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, has an enrollment of 175 students. It became the first Catholic high school in the state to become independently operated in 2001.

A group demonstrated across the street from the school Monday, calling on Dolan and the Catholic Church to do more to protect the rights of sexually abused children.

“I think it’s disgraceful that the Roman Catholic Church is lobbying against the Child Victims Act, the act that will protect children better than any other tool here in New York state,” said Andrew Willis of the political action committee Fighting for Children.

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Minnesota woman wins landmark settlement in priest abuse case

MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

By Jean Hopfensperger Star Tribune OCTOBER 3, 2016

The woman who sued an Indian Catholic diocese last year for reinstating the priest who sexually abused her in Minnesota has reached a landmark settlement that she hopes will set a precedent for similar abuse cases nationally.

Megan Peterson had sued the Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul, who was extradited to the United States in 2014 to face criminal charges for sexually abusing her as a teen. He pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in May 2015 and was deported back to India after serving his one-year sentence.

When she learned that the Vatican approved Jeyapaul’s reinstatement into ministry in India within months of his return, Peterson sued again — this time in federal court against Jeyapaul’s home diocese and to prevent him from contact with children 7,000 miles away.

This week, the Ootacamund diocese agreed to remove Jeyapaul from ministry. Peterson, who was a 14-year-old in the town of Greenbush when she says she was raped and assaulted a decade ago, said she’s appalled that it took a federal court action to stop a convicted sexual abuser from working with children in India.

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New cardinals will be named soon, Pope reveals

UNITED STATES
Catholic Culture

October 03, 2016

Pope Francis plans to hold a consistory and name new members of the College of Cardinals soon, he told reporters during an in-flight press conference on October 2.

Answering a question from an Italian journalist, the Pontiff said that three possible dates have already been proposed for the consistory. “I need to choose,” he added, indicating that he would make a decision soon.

One of the proposed dates in the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, the Pope said. Other possible dates, he said, would be late this year or early in 2017.

Pope Francis mentioned that there are 13 openings for new cardinals who could vote in a papal conclave. Pope Paul VI set a limit of 120 cardinal-electors, and there at the moment there are 111 cardinal-electors. However, four cardinals who are now electors will celebrate their 80th birthdays , thus becoming ineligible to vote in a conclave, before the November 27 date.

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Local sex abuse victim stops priest from returning to ministry in India

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

Martin Moylan Oct 3, 2016

A Minnesota woman has won a lawsuit settlement that bars a predator priest from the ministry in southern India.

A diocese there was returning to duty a priest who had been convicted of child sex abuse in Minnesota. Megan Peterson had been victimized by that priest, Father Joseph Jeyapaul, in 2004 when he served at her church in Greenbush, Minn.

When Peterson heard that Jeyapaul would be active in the church in India, Peterson sued the Indian diocese.

“I know what this man is capable of,” she said. “Something had to be done to save the children in India that would be in harm’s way.”

The Indian diocese promised Jeyapaul will not return to the ministry and will not be put in a position with access to children. In addition, the church promised to provide yearly updates on his location. Peterson’s attorney, Jeff Anderson, says he expects the priest will be defrocked.

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MEDIA RELEASE – OCTOBER 3, 2016

MASSACHUSETTS
Road to Recovery

Convicted pedophile and former Catholic Church worker, Ricardo Gonzalez, is sued by three childhood sexual abuse victims whom Ricardo Gonzalez admitted in criminal court to sexually abusing. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian represents the three childhood sexual abuse victims, now adults, and filed the civil complaint on their behalf

One of the childhood sexual abuse victims of Ricard Gonzalez was an altar server at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in East Boston, MA, from approximately 1987-1989 when Ricardo Gonzalez was working at and affiliated with Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. Another childhood sexual abuse victim of Ricardo Gonzalez was an altar server at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish from approximately 1988-1991 when Ricardo Gonzalez was working at and affiliated with Our Lady of the Assumption Parish

The third childhood sexual abuse victim of Ricardo Gonzalez was a student at the Donald McKay Elementary School in East Boston from approximately 1992-1993 when he met Ricardo Gonzalez who then was a member of the school’s faculty and/or an administrator at the school. Ricardo Gonzalez began sexually abusing the third victim approximately in the summer of 1993 until approximately 1995

What
A demonstration regarding the filing of a civil lawsuit in Middlesex County, MA Superior Court on behalf of three childhood sexual abuse victims of a pedophile, Ricardo Gonzalez, who is a former Catholic Church worker from Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in East Boston, MA, and a teacher/administrator at the Donald Mc Kay Elementary School in East Boston, MA

When
Tuesday, October 4, 2016 at 11:30 am

Where
On the public sidewalk outside Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, 404 Sumner Street, East Boston, MA 02128

Who
Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Co-founder and President, Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity based in New Jersey that assists victims of sexual abuse and their families

Why
Ricardo Gonzalez worked at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in East Boston, MA, from approximately 1987 until 1992, where he trained, supervised, counseled, directed and sexually abused two minor children who were parishioners and altar servers at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, East Boston, MA. Ricardo Gonzalez also sexually abused a minor child who had just completed elementary school in approximately 1993 at the Donald Mc Kay School in East Boston and was about to start at a new school. Ricardo Gonzalez sexually abused the third boy from approximately 1993-1995. The two men who were minor children and altar servers at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish from approximately 1987-1991 and the third man who was about to begin a new school have filed a civil lawsuit against Ricardo Gonzalez, in Middlesex County, MA, Superior Court. The Plaintiffs suffer from the effects of having been sexually abused and seek healing, validation, and recovery. Ricardo Gonzalez, who admitted in criminal court to sexually abusing all three minor children, is currently incarcerated at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Facility in Shirley, MA, for these crimes.

Contacts
Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Road to Recovery, Inc. – 862-368-2800 – roberthoatson@gmail.com

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Prolific paedophile priest is caught living next door to a playground and CRECHE

IRELAND
The Sun

BY ANN MOONEY 3rd October 2016

A DEPRAVED paedophile priest has been caught living just yards from a playground and a crèche – but claims “I have to live somewhere”.

Serial rapist Oliver O’Grady is holed up in a house near the kids’ play area – but admitted: “I might be better off in a more isolated area”.

O’Grady – one of the most depraved paedophiles ever to serve in the Catholic Church – said he avoids going out when children are around.

But he also told how he is desperate to get his history of abusing children deleted from the internet.

O’Grady, who admitted sexually abusing dozens of young children while serving in the Church in California, said: “Well I have to live somewhere and I’ve been here for quite a while and there have been no problems.”

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Hon calls for resignations in cemeteries board

GUAM
Guam Daily Post

By Neil Pang | Post News Staff

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana, has asked for the resignation of Catholic Cemeteries of Guam board members who voted in favor of publicizing a complaint filed against Rev. James Benavente.

In July of 2014, Benavente was removed from his post as Rector of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica by Archbishop Anthony Apuron over allegations of financial mismanagement.

Benavente was publicly besmirched by Apuron, and the clearing of his name as well as his reinstatement to his post were a major point of contention for the lay organization Concerned Catholics of Guam.

Last week, after archdiocesan officials formally cleared Benavente of all wrongdoing, a complaint was filed with the Guam Police Department and the Attorney General’s Office that included documentation of financial mismanagement.

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Settlement Reached in Federal Lawsuit Involving Diocese in India

MINNESOTA
KSTP

October 03, 2016

A settlement has been reached that prevents a priest convicted of sexual abuse from returning to the ministry.

Prosecutors say the Rev. Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul assaulted Megan Peterson multiple times in 2004 and 2005, starting when she was 14. Jeyapaul was a priest at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenbush, Minnesota, near the Canadian border, at the time.

The attorney’s office says Jeyapaul fled to his native India in August 2005 and continued to serve as a priest. He was arrested in India by Interpol in 2012 and extradited to the U.S. in November 2014.

At that time, an additional fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge was filed against him for an Aug. 15, 2005, incident at the Diocese of Crookston.

Jeyapaul pleaded guilty to the fourth-degree charge on May 22, 2015, and was sentenced to one year in prison. The first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge was dismissed.

A church spokesman in India said the suspension of Jeyapaul was lifted in January of this year after the bishop of the Ootacamund Diocese in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state consulted with church authorities at the Vatican.

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Victims of child sexual abuse waiting for justice, too: Editorial

PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By PennLive Editorial Board

The scene on the Capitol steps last week was heart-warming, even though at its core it was a protest. The star was Libre, the horribly abused the Boston terrier puppy whose recovery is nothing short of miraculous.

With Libre their call to action, hundreds of people demanded tougher legal penalties for those convicted of abusing animals. As state Sen. Richard Alloway, R-Franklin, noted, Pennsylvania is one of only three remaining states without a felony cruelty statute.

“Libre’s Law,” introduced by Alloway as Senate Bill 1372, would increase some penalties for animal abuse and add a third-degree felony category for offenders who intentionally cause death or serious physical injury to an animal.

Libre, now 4 months old, was found hours from death on July 4 (hence his name, which means “liberty” or “freedom”) and Alloway’s bill looks to be on the fast track to passage. Identifying opposition has been next to impossible – who is against punishing people who hurt puppies?

But that’s why we can’t help but compare the outcry in Libre’s case to the stalled legislation that would give the victims of child abuse a better chance of confronting their abusers and winning some measure of redress in the civil court system.

House Bill 1947, to eliminate or extend statutes of limitation in criminal and civil cases involving child sexual abuse. sailed through the house in April by a vote of 180-15. That bill would have:

* Eliminated the criminal statute of limitations on most child sex crimes.
* Allowed an individual to file a civil action against institutions and organizations based on child sexual abuse until the age of 50, rather than the current 30.
* Eliminated time limits on when victims can file a civil action against certain individual defendants, including the perpetrator; any individual who conspired with the perpetrator of child sexual abuse; and any individual who knew of child sexual abuse but failed to report the abuse to law enforcement or a child protective services agency.
* Eliminated the criminal statute of limitations for a conspiracy or solicitation that facilitates the offenses.
* Lowered the standard for actions against governmental defendants from “gross negligence” to “negligence.”

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Heavily Catholic Guam is torn by sex abuse allegations

GUAM
WALB

Monday, October 3rd 2016.

By GRACE GARCES BORDALLO and JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
Associated Press

HAGATNA, Guam (AP) – Atop a lofty hill overlooking the ocean in the U.S. territory of Guam, a residence for the governor and a ceremonial one for the archbishop sit together, a decades-old symbol of their seemingly equal power on an island where nearly everyone is Roman Catholic.

Catholicism is woven deeply into the Spanish-influenced culture of this land of 165,000 people. Families consider it a blessing to be closely associated with priests, and having a son grow up to be a priest or a daughter become a nun is a source of pride.

That’s why allegations that the island’s archbishop molested altar boys decades ago have divided churchgoers and put the governor in a difficult spot politically.

When the Legislature unanimously sent him a bill eliminating the two-year statute of limitations for suing over sexual abuse, priests worked feverishly to stave it off, telling parishioners at Sunday Mass at the island’s 26 churches that the measure would bankrupt the church.

Gov. Eddie Calvo, a Catholic, had to think hard about what to do.

“You could see right away that that the man was conflicted,” said Rev. Francis X. Hezel, an assistant pastor at Santa Barbara Catholic Church in Dededo. “He is, after all, the chief executive of an island that’s 80 percent Catholic.”

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Hastert victim joins push to end statute of limitations on child sex crimes

ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune

Christy Gutowski
Chicago Tribune

Months after confronting his famous high school wrestling coach during a bombshell court appearance, the man identified as Individual D in a scandalous federal case against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is once again speaking out publicly, this time urging Illinois lawmakers to eliminate the statute of limitations for certain child sex crimes.

Scott Cross is expected to testify Tuesday in downtown Chicago before a state Senate committee considering legislation that gets rid of the deadlines for prosecuting more than two dozen felony crimes involving sexual offenses against children. The crimes include aggravated criminal sexual abuse and assault and indecent solicitation of a child, trafficking, child pornography and grooming.

In the Hastert case, federal prosecutors cited the expired statute of limitations as the reason they prosecuted him on banking law violation charges rather than for inappropriately touching several underage boys, including Cross, decades ago when Hastert was a trusted teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School.

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Rudd ‘confident’ in child sex abuse inquiry chair

UNITED KINGDOM
ITV

Amber Rudd has said she has “complete confidence” in Alexis Jay, the chairwoman of the troubled national inquiry into historical child sexual abuse.

The home secretary initially refused to be drawn on the inquiry when ITV News approached her on the sidelines of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, before saying simply: “I’ve got complete confidence in the chairman, Alexis Jay.”

Professor Jones is the fourth person to head the inquiry after the three previous chairs quit the job.

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Property belonging to late bishop Ronald Mulkearns goes on the market, with Ballarat diocese to receive proceeds

AUSTRALIA
Geelong Advertiser

TESSA HAYWARD, Geelong Advertiser
October 3, 2016

A CONTROVERSIAL property has come on the market, just two doors from the iconic Pole House in Fairhaven.

The 56 Banool Rd property is the deceased estate of former bishop of Ballarat (1971-1999) Ronald Mulkearns, who was blamed for covering up the sexual abuse of hundreds of children.

Mulkearns died in April and left the church most of his $2.1 million estate, which includes the Fairhaven property.

The Herald Sun reported in September the Ballarat diocese would receive the estate including the property, valued at $2.1 million, and about $40,000 cash.

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Priest faces jail after decades of abuse

AUSTRALIA
7 News

Genevieve Gannon – AAP on October 4, 2016

A pedophile priest who abused Victorian children as young as four over three decades is about to pay the price for his crimes.

Robert Patrick Claffey, 73, will be sentenced on Tuesday afternoon after he pleaded guilty to fondling and indecently assaulting 12 children while practising as a Catholic priest in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Many of the priest’s victim’s gave evidence at an emotional pre-sentence hearing in Geelong last month.

One told of being molested by the pedophile priest who came to his family home offering “pastoral care” following the death of the victim’s brother.

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Statement Regarding Joseph Wajda’s Dismissal from the Clerical State

MINNESOTA
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Mnneapolis

Date: Saturday, October 1, 2016

Source: Tom Halden, Director of Communications

From Archbishop Bernard Hebda

Joseph Wajda, who has been forbidden from exercising public priestly ministry since 2003 due to allegations of sexual abuse of minors, has now been definitively dismissed from the clerical state. He may not dress or present himself as a priest and is forbidden from the ordinary exercise of all sacred ministry, private as well as public.

Joseph Wajda was ordained in 1973 and served in our archdiocese. We have advised pastors at parishes where he had been assigned of this change in his clerical status. His complete assignment history is provided on the archdiocesan website and at SafeCatholicSPM.org.

I am profoundly saddened by the effect clergy sexual abuse continues to have on victims/survivors, their families and the community and strongly encourage anyone who has been abused to contact the police immediately.

You may find clergy disclosure information linked on the archdiocesan website and at SafeCatholicSPM.org.

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How the Archdiocese of Philadelphia trains thousands of adults to be aware of and report childhood sexual abuse

PENNSYLVANIA
The Times Herald

By Second in a Series, By Kathleen E. Carey, kcarey@21st-centurymedia.com, @dtbusiness on

POSTED: 10/03/16

PHILADELPHIA >> About 40 people sat in the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center one recent evening, their focus intent on the large projection screen in the middle of the front of the room.

“I was 10 years old,” the boy in the film tells the viewers. “I faced my molester every day not knowing if he was every going to mess with me again. And, he did do it again, and again, and again.”

Seven minutes into the two-part film, which lasted about a half hour, a clean-shaven, brown-haired man comes on the screen.

“The first child, as close as I can recall, I was 10, he was 5,” he said. “He was a neighborhood child who looked up to me, and I took advantage of that to lure him into a field behind our parents’ house and to trick him into, force him into taking his clothes off.”

This raw footage, based on testimony from actual abuser survivors, as well as the stories from perpetrators themselves, is part of an intense, two-and-a-half hour training regimen that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia requires of any adult — clergy, employee or volunteer — who has regular interactions with children.

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Archbishop Hon demands catholic cemeteries board resign over ‘baseless allegations’

GUAM
Pacific News Center

Written by Janela Carrera

It was also announced a press conference today that Msgr. James Benavente will be the apostolic administrator for church patrimony.

Guam – Just a day after being cleared of wrongdoing, Msgr. James Benavente has now been appointed to take charge of church assets.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, the temporary administrator of the Archdiocese of Agana, is demanding that the Catholic Cemeteries board resign in light of the “baseless allegations” made against Msgr. James following his vindication last Friday.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai held a news conference today to make some major announcements. He was present and sat in the chairs behind the podium, but it was his delegate, Father Jeff San Nicolas, who made the statements.

“We have asked or are asking all board members of the catholic cemeteries who supported and voted for the resolution and for its release to the public to immediately resign,” San Nicolas read on behalf of Hon.

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No sex abuse lawsuits yet but there are rumors, says archdiocese

GUAM
Pacific News Center

Written by Janela Carrera

Guam – Although no lawsuits have been filed against the church or clergy members since the lifting of the civil statute of limitations on child sex abuse, the Archdiocese of Agana says they are aware of rumors going around of such.

At a press conference today at the Cathedral Basilica, Father Jeff San Nicolas and Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai responded to media inquiries about potential lawsuits.

Currently, the archdiocese is facing a lawsuit from alleged sex abuse victims of Archbishop Anthony Apuron, but it is based on libel and slander.

The civil statute of limitations was lifted late last month opening the door for church sex abuse victims to file suit against the archdiocese.

There are at least four victims who have come forward with sexual assault allegations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron dating back to the 1970s. Two others have come forward with allegations against other priests.

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Archdiocese to beef up finance council, prepares for possible lawsuits

GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News October 4, 2016

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai announced Monday that the church is reconstituting the Archdiocesan Finance Council to help the church reposition its assets, including a multimillion-dollar property in Yona, in anticipation of lawsuits by victims of clergy abuse on Guam.

Gov. Eddie Calvo on Sept. 23 signed a law that lifts the statute of limitations to allow victims of child sexual abuse to sue their abusers as well as anyone who helped them and the institutions with which they are affiliated. The church, before the bill was signed, lobbied against it, stating it could open up the church to financially crippling lawsuits. Several former Agat altar boys have accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of sexually abusing them in the 1970s, when he was parish priest.

The archdiocese will appoint at least four other members of the Archdiocesan Finance Council, which only has three members at this time, said the Rev. Jeff San Nicolas, Hon’s delegate.

The three current members are Sonny Ada, Danny Quichocho and John Weisenberger, San Nicolas said.

San Nicolas said the archdiocese is looking to bring more people on board with the right talent, skills and experience.

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Archdiocese: Catholic Cemeteries board complaint invalid; members should resign

GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News October 4, 2016

A complaint against Monsignor James Benavente, sent by the board of The Catholic Cemeteries of Guam to police and the attorney general’s office last week, contains false statements, according to the Archdiocese of Agana.

Among other things, the resolution, signed by attorney Jacqueline Terlaje, who serves as secretary of the Catholic Cemeteries board, incorrectly states that the resolution was passed unanimously by the board during a meeting Friday, Sept. 30, according to the archdiocese.

There was no board meeting that day, according to the archdiocese, which said it will continue to investigate the matter. There also was no meeting notice, written waiver of notice requirements or telephonic conference, as required by the board’s by-laws, the archdiocese stated.

And the resolution was not approved by unanimous consent of the board, “contrary to the certified statement by attorney Jacqueline Terlaje,” the archdiocese stated during a press conference Monday afternoon. The allegations about Benavente also are untrue, the archdiocese stated, because the past Catholic Cemeteries board had approved the use of funds cited in the complaint.

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Malawi Catholic Priest sexually assaults minor, arrested

MALAWI
Nyasa Times

October 3, 2016 Maurice Nkawihe – Nyasa Times

A 44-year-old Catholic priest, Father Francis Ngalande is currently under police custody for allegedly defiling a 16-year-old girl.

Ngalande, a priest at Mpherere Catholic in Ntchisi district, is a benefactor to the victim (name withheld) and committed the offence on Friday last week at Kasungu Council Rest House, police have confirmed.

According to police on Friday 30 September, Father Ngalande had called the victim- a form two student- claiming he had found a new school for her, and arranged to meet.

The two met at Kasese Bus depot and left for Kasungu; he later on asked the victim to book a room at Kasungu Council Rest House where he defiled her.

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Lawsuit was first ever nuisance case against an overseas Diocese

MINNESOTA
Jeff Anderson and Associates

Survivor Megan Peterson will speak publicly about the settlement at press conference Monday

WHAT: At a press conference Monday in St. Paul, live-streamed online from the law office of Jeff Anderson & Associates, sexual abuse survivor Megan Peterson, Barbara Blaine and Peter Isley of SNAP, and Attorney Mike Finnegan will:

· Announce the settlement of a federal lawsuit involving the Diocese of Ootacamund, India, and Fr. Joseph Jeyapaul; and

· Discuss how Megan Peterson took immediate action when it was learned that Bishop Amalraj and Pope Francis were considering returning Jeyapaul to ministry in India after his sexual abuse conviction in Minnesota

In 2015, after his extradition from India, Jeyapaul pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct involving the sexual abuse of a minor girl while he worked in the Diocese of Crookston in 2005. On January 16, 2016, with the permission of Pope Francis, Bishop Amalraj lifted the suspension of Father Joseph Jeyapaul. After learning of Jeyapaul’s return to ministry, Megan Peterson filed a federal lawsuit on April 18, 2016 alleging nuisance against the Diocese of Ootacamund for returning Jeyapaul to active ministry and exposing innocent children in India to Jeyapaul’s predatory ways.

WHEN: Monday, October 3, 2016 at 1:00PM CT

WHERE: Jeff Anderson & Associates
366 Jackson St. Suite 100
St. Paul, MN 55101

*THE PRESS EVENT WILL ALSO BE LIVE-STREAMED FROM OUR WEBSITE: www.andersonadvocates.com

Contact Mike Finnegan: Office: 651.538.5049 Mobile: 612-205-5531
Contact Jeff Anderson: Office: 651.538.5049 Mobile: 612.817.8665
Contact Megan Peterson: (218)684-0073; survivor19@live.com
Contact Barbara Blaine: (312)399-4747; bblaine@snapnetwork.org
Contact Peter Isley: (414)429-7259; peterisley@yahoo.com

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As the abuse inquiry’s body count rises, tragedy is turning into farce

UNITED KINGDOM
The Times

DOMINIC LAWSON
October 2 2016

The independent inquiry into historical child sexual abuse resembles one of those Jacobean tragedies in which the stage is piled ever more improbably high with the bodies of the leading characters.

The corpses in this production — based on an original idea by Theresa May — include no fewer than three chairwomen, followed last week by the lead counsel to the inquiry, Ben Emmerson QC, and his deputy. The last of these, Elizabeth Prochaska, had resigned two weeks earlier, it transpired; she was herself a replacement for Hugh Davies QC, who had also failed to survive the course.

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Lord Janner child sex abuse inquiry ‘not dropped’

UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

The independent child sex abuse inquiry has denied claims it has plans to drop the investigation into Lord Janner.

The Sunday Telegraph suggested the inquiry was to abandon examining allegations the former Labour MP abused victims between the 1950s and 1980s.

More than 30 complainants are due to give evidence against Lord Janner, who died in December.

The inquiry has faced various setbacks including the departure of two senior lawyers and three chairwomen.

The newspaper claimed Lord Janner’s son, Daniel Janner, a QC, had been told by a source the investigation into allegations his father was a paedophile would be discontinued.

It quoted Mr Janner as saying: “A wholly reliable source has informed me the strand into my father is to be dropped”.

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Shortfall in contribution to compensation scheme damages Catholic Church’s authority

IRELAND
Irish Times

Editorial

What is to be done? The 18 religious congregations which managed residential institutions where children were abused into the 1970s refuse to pay a half of costs in resulting compensation. Successive Governments have held such costs should be shared 50:50, with support across the Dáil. The final bill is expected to be around €1.5 billion, involving €1.25 billion compensation paid by the Redress Board to more than 15,000 survivors. Contributions offered by the congregations to date, under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement and subsequent to the 2009 Ryan Report, amount to €480 million. The shortfall on the 50 per cent target is €245 million.

One congregation says it has contributed its 50 per cent share; 15 have either declined to comment on, or disagree with the 50:50 principle; two are unable to pay beyond their share of the 2002 Indemnity Agreement. Four – the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, the Good Shepherd Sisters, and the Sisters of Charity – were also involved in running the 10 Magdalene Laundries. They have refused to make any contribution, either, to a State redress scheme for women who were in the laundries.

After publication of the Ryan report, a State-appointed panel assessed resources of the 18 congregations. These had a value of €3.743 billion, since depleted as property values collapsed. Involved were schools, hospitals, facilities for health and disability services, making it impossible for their value to be realised. Some are held in trust, making transfer problematic. In 2007, possibly anticipating Ryan report findings, five female congregations transferred more than 100 secondary schools to the new Catholic Education – An Irish Schools Trust (Ceist), while in 2008 the new Edmund Rice Trust assumed ownership of Christian Brothers and Presentation schools.

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Now FIVE lawyers have quit child abuse inquiry: Two more resign as Janner case faces the axe

UNITED KINGDOM
Daily Mail

By REBECCA CAMBER AND IZZY FERRIS FOR THE DAILY MAIL

The beleaguered child sex abuse inquiry was said to be in meltdown yesterday as it emerged that five lawyers have now quit.

Two barristers examining allegations against Lord Janner have recently resigned as the inquiry is having to consider axing its investigation into him.

Junior counsel Abigail Bright and Alexandra Felix are said to have left after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse postponed hearing claims against the late Labour peer for seven months.

Meanwhile the inquiry’s top lawyer Ben Emmerson QC, who was appointed by Theresa May to be lead counsel, was suspended last week 24 hours before he quit.

His deputy Elizabeth Prochaska, with whom he was said to have worked closely, had quietly resigned for unknown reasons two weeks previously.

And Hugh Davies QC left in December after telling officials he no longer wanted to be part of the management team. It means two of Mr Emmerson’s deputies have quit in the space of a year.

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Church reconstituting Archdiocesan Finance Council

GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Oct 03, 2016

By Krystal Paco

It could be the first few steps to what could be a lengthy take back of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary. In a press conference today, Guam’s Catholic church has announced they’ll be reconstituting the Archdiocesan Finance Council in an effort to address the controversies surrounding the RMS. The church also provided more detail as to a complaint filed with the Guam Police Department relative to the misuse of church funds.

Just months ago, five former members of the Archdiocesan Finance Council alleged their sudden removal in 2012 wasn’t because their terms were up – but because Archbishop Anthony Apuron needed to cover up a secret handover of the multimillion dollar Redemptoris Mater Seminary. In today’s press conference, it appears the Archdiocese of Agana is reconstituting the AFC in hopes of getting the Yona property back.

The board will be assisted by longtime archdiocesan legal counsel Ed Terlaje. Tasked to bring back the council is Father Jeff San Nicolas, who said, “To ‘reconstitute’ means what the archbishop means and what my task is – to look for membership, to have a balance in our Archdiocesan Finance Council, and to look for the talents, the skills, and the experience of those individuals who can move us through this time.”

The board needs four more members. Current members include Sonny Ada, Danny Quichocho, and John Weisenberger.

KUAM News files show the board was dissolved in 2014 when Monsignor James Benavente was removed as rector of the Hagatna Cathedral and director of Catholic Cemeteries. His removal followed allegations of financial mismanagement – all of which were cleared last Friday. Hours later, however, new allegations surfaced in a complaint filed with the Guam Police Department by the Catholic Cemeteries’ board of directors.

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Archdiocese holds briefing on appointed priests, sexual abuse lawsuits

GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News October 3, 2016

In addition to naming Monsignor James L.G. Benavente as the new pastor of Saint Anthony and Saint Victor Church in Tamuning, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai also appointed eight other priests to positions in village parishes or within the archdiocese, effective Sept. 30.

The Archdiocese of Agana started a news conference at 1:30 p.m. Monday to discuss steps the church is taking in anticipation of lawsuits by victims of clergy abuse on Guam, the archdiocese stated.

Watch the Pacific Daily News’ recording here or on our Facebook page.

Gov. Eddie Calvo on Sept. 23 signed a law that lifts the statute of limitations to allow victims of child sexual abuse to sue their abusers as well as anyone who helped them and the institutions with which they are affiliated. The church, before the bill was signed, lobbied against it, stating it could open up the church to financially crippling lawsuits.

Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron is among the clergy members who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing and raping altar boys in the 1970s, when he was a parish priest in Agat, and at least one of Apuron’s alleged victims said he plans to sue the archbishop.

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Former priest, Navy chaplain to be sentenced in child porn case

DELAWARE
Crux

AP

WILMINGTON, Del. – A former Navy chaplain and Catholic priest who sexually assaulted a Naval Academy midshipman years ago is facing sentencing on federal child pornography charges.

Sentencing for John Thomas Matthew Lee of Millsboro, which has been postponed several times, is now set for Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Lee, who faces up to 50 years in prison, pleaded guilty last November to production and distribution of child pornography.

Lee was court-martialed in 2007 on charges including forcible sodomy and failing to tell a sex partner he was HIV-positive, and he served time in prison.

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October 2, 2016

A Time For Repentance

UNITED STATES
Times of Israel

David Cheifetz

A quick thought as we start the Aseret Yemai Teshuva – the Ten Days of Penitence.

There are thousands, tens of thousands, and perhaps more, of victims of sexual abuse in our Jewish Community. While some rabbis have signed proclamations acknowledging the “mistakes of the past” and the poor systemic handling of abuses in our community and calling on victims to reach out directly to the police, many more have not signed onto such a proclamation. In the United States, that includes such Modern Orthodox luminaries as Herschel Schachter and Mordechai Willig, and umbrella organization such as Agudas Yisrael of America.

We are before Rosh Hashana, when the Heavens are supposed to be open to our repentance. But there can be no repentance without direct sincere apologies to the victims, and addressing the needs of the victims in the five part framework defined by the Gemara – Nezek, Tza’ar, Ripui, Shevet and Boshet – Direct damages, pain and suffering, medical bills, reparations for lost wages, and reparations for the public embarrassment and public humiliation of victims.

As long as sexual abusers and their enablers have not asked, begged, forgiveness from their victims, their prayers are empty. For if a Jew cares only about Mitzvot Bain Adam LaMakom – commandments addressing religious requirements between a human being and the Divine, and ignores Mitzvot Bain Adam LeChaveiro, commandments addressing religious requirements between a human being and another human being, there is no justice. We know this well from the teachings of Isaiah and others.

I am told that in heaven there is no Statute of Limitations. So sexual abusers and their enablers have no Halachic structure to hide behind.

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Protests continue

GUAM
Guam Daily Post

GO HOME: Catholic activists continue their weekly protests outside the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña, yesterday, Oct. 2. They are calling for the laiciation of Archbishop Anthony Apuron for a number of reasons including allegations of sexual abuse of altar boys in the 1970s. They are also calling for the removal of apostolic administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, for his alleged inaction. Neil Pang/Post

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Top Catholic cleric on Guam to face church trial

GUAM
Radio New Zealand

A top official for the Catholic Church on Guam says the Vatican is now preparing a canonical trial for an archbishop accused of sexually abusing boys on the island in the 1970s.

So far, five former altar boys have gone public to accuse Archbishop Anthony Apuron of sexually abusing them.

Last month, Guam’s governor signed into law a bill that removed the statute of limitations, which allows the church to be sued for the historical allegations.

The Reverend Jeff San Nicolas told the Pacific Daily News that the Vatican was now preparing its own trial for Archbishop Apuron, and is in the process of formulating its court.

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Theresa May needs to admit her child abuse inquiry has gone off the rails

UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

CHARLES MOORE

Like the house in the Gospel parable, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (Iicsa) is built on sand. So if it continues on its present foundations, it is certain to fall.

You cannot have a law-based inquiry which mixes the following: individual accusations against bodies or persons, a “Truth Project” in which anyone who wants can send in his or her uncorroborated experiences of child sexual abuse, and an investigation into all state and non-state institutional mishandlings of child abuse in living memory.

Two years on, the subsidence in the foundations laid by the then Home Secretary, Theresa May, are widely visible. The inquiry is on its fourth chairman, Alexis Jay. She is a child abuse expert but, not being a lawyer, has little knowledge of how such an inquiry should be conducted.

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Manny Waks: child sexual abuse survivor who fought back

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

October 3, 2016

RICK MORTON
Social Affairs reporter
Melbourne
@SquigglyRick

Manny Waks took a razor on the plane bound for Israel and shaved his whiskers after takeoff.

He hoped the journey and clean-shaven face would deliver him not only from his community in Melbourne but from the Ultra Orthodox sect that so reminded him of the sexual abuse he had endured as a boy.

He tried to forget Jewish holidays, customs, language. The abuse had erased his childhood innocence and taken from him his larger identity in the world.

After years of trying to deal with the perpetrators of his abuse in private, Manny Waks blew the whistle on the pedophiles who preyed on him and others at Melbourne’s Yeshiva Centre in 2011.

When the centre’s leaders were called before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, it became the most watched public hearing, jarring an international Jewish community now confronted with abuse and cover-ups, as with the Catholic Church before it.

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Sacerdotes señalados por abuso sexual

EL SALVADOR
La Prensa Grafica

[For the Catholic Church of El Salvador, 2015 was a turbulent year with the reappearance on the public agenda of issues of pedophilia in the clergy. Two cases occurred in the east of the country and came realization that the phenomenon goes beyond the three processes that were already sent to the Vatican.]

Para la Iglesia católica de El Salvador, 2015 fue un año turbulento, con la reaparición en la agenda pública de problemas de pederastia en su clero. Dos casos ocurridos en el oriente del país dan cuenta de que el fenómeno va más allá de los tres procesos que ya fueron enviados para su última etapa al Vaticano.

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Colmar: un curé écroué pour viol et agression sexuelle sur mineure

FRANCE
France Time

L’archevêque de Strasbourg Mgr Grallet a invité la presse hier après-midi au centre Saint-Thomas de Strasbourg-Robertsau, où se tenait un conseil épiscopal. Il a assuré n’avoir eu aucune connaissance des faits reprochés au curé Hubert Spitz avant qu’il …

Un prêtre écroué pour viol et agression sexuelle sur une mineure

Un curé de 58 ans d’une paroisse près de Colmar a été mis en examen et écroué à Colmar, soupçonné de viol et agression sexuelle sur une adolescente. L’abbé Hubert Spitz, âgé de 58 ans, a été incarcéré mercredi à Colmar. Il est accusé de viol et

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À Colmar, un prêtre soupçonné de viol et d’agression sexuelle sur mineure a été in

FRANCE
La Croix

Alice Papin, le 30/09/2016

Le curé de la paroisse de Wintzenheim (Haut-Rhin), âgé de 58 ans, a été mis en examen et écroué à Colmar pour viol et agression sexuelle sur une mineure, a-t-on appris jeudi 29 septembre.

« J’ai été alerté mardi midi par le procureur de Colmar qu’un prêtre du diocèse était en garde à vue. Le mercredi matin, j’ai appris sa mise en examen et le jeudi sa détention », témoigne « stupéfait », Mgr Jean-Pierre Grallet, archevêque de Strasbourg, joint par La Croix vendredi 30 septembre et qui affirme « avoir découvert totalement cette affaire cette semaine ».

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Un prêtre écroué dans le diocèse de Strasbourg

FRANCE
Riposte Catholique

[A priest, 58, of a parish near Colmar was indicted and jailed on suspicion of rape and sexual assault on a teenage girl. Father Hubert Spitz was taken into custody Tuesday. According to the archbishop of Strasbourg, Mgr Jean-Pierre Grallet he was indicted and jailed in Colmar.]

Un curé de 58 ans d’une paroisse près de Colmar a été mis en examen et écroué, soupçonné de viol et agression sexuelle sur une adolescente. L’abbé Hubert Spitz, soupçonné de viol par pénétration digitale, agression sexuelle sur mineure et abus de confiance, a été placé en garde à vue mardi. Selon l’archevêque de Strasbourg, Mgr Jean-Pierre Grallet, il a été mis en examen et incarcéré à Colmar.

En outre, ce curé nommé en 2005 dans la paroisse de Wintzenheim, près de Colmar, détournait des chèques destinés à la paroisse. Il est soupçonné de s’être servi en partie de ces sommes qu’il aurait reversées à la jeune fille en vue d’obtenir des faveurs sexuelles.

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229.000 Euro für Opfer sexuellen Missbrauchs

DEUTSCHLAND
SWR

[The Diocese of Speyer has investigated 63 suspected cases of sexual abuse since the adoption of new ecclesial guidelines in 2010. In 31 cases the church paid the victims for the recognition of suffering financial services in a total amount of 229,000 euros, the diocese said on Friday. Often the actions were barred by law or the alleged perpetrators have already died. Three offenders were sentenced by state courts. Currently, the prosecutor dealing yet with four current proceedings.]

Das Bistum Speyer hat seit der Verabschiedung neuer kirchlicher Richtlinien im Umgang mit sexuellem Missbrauch im Jahr 2010 63 Verdachtsfälle untersucht. In 31 Fällen zahlte die Kirche den Betroffenen zur Anerkennung des Leids finanzielle Leistungen in einer Gesamthöhe von 229.000 Euro, teilte das Bistum am Freitag mit. Häufig seien die Taten nach staatlichem Recht verjährt gewesen oder die Beschuldigten bereits gestorben. Drei Täter seien von staatlichen Gerichten verurteilt worden. Aktuell befasse sich die Staatsanwaltschaft noch mit vier laufenden Verfahren. Das Bistum selbst geht zwei Verdachtsfällen nach.

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Priest arrested on charge of raping minor

INDIA
The Hindu

The police has arrested a priest on the charges of raping a 15-year-old girl on the pretext of offering a talisman to help her excel in studies.

The arrested has been identified as Kumar(52), priest of Durga Chowdeshwari temple near Kuvempu Road in the city.

Police said the parents were not happy with the academic performance of the victim and had brought her to the temple seeking solution for the problem. A few days later, the priest had asked the girl to come to the temple to participate in a special puja and collect a talisman from him.

In the complaint, the victim has alleged that the priest took her to his personal room to tie the talisman where he raped her. The man threatened her not to reveal the incident or she would invite the divine wrath on her family, she said.

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Child sex inquiry QC’s suspension ‘is closely linked’ to the departure of his deputy, senior source reveals

UNITED KINGDOM
Mail on Sunday

By MARTIN BECKFORD and MARK NICOL FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

The shock suspension of the top barrister in the troubled child abuse inquiry is closely linked to the departure of his deputy, a senior source close to the investigation has revealed.

Ben Emmerson was suspended by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse last week after it became ‘very concerned about aspects of his leadership’, and resigned soon after.

It then emerged that junior counsel to Britain’s biggest public inquiry, Elizabeth Prochaska, had quietly left her post a fortnight earlier.

Last night insiders told The Mail on Sunday that the two departures, which plunged the investigation into fresh chaos, were closely linked.

‘It is no coincidence that Ben’s suspension comes so soon after Elizabeth’s resignation, that’s what this is about,’ said one source.

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Child sex abuse inquiry may drop Lord Janner case following review

UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

Robert Mendick, chief reporter
1 OCTOBER 2016

The national child sex abuse inquiry is planning to ditch its investigation into Lord Janner, the Labour peer’s son said on Saturday.

Alexis Jay, chairman of the inquiry, would neither confirm nor deny the suggestion when it was put to her but said: “The investigation areas are under review.”

Any decision to scrap the Lord Janner strand would devastate his alleged victims while signalling the break-up of an inquiry that has been lambasted for being far too large and unwieldy.

Daniel Janner, a QC, said he had been told by a well-placed source that a strand of the £100 million inquiry into allegations his father was a paedophile and that the Establishment had covered it up was being dropped.

Mr Janner said: “A wholly reliable source has informed me the strand into my father is to be dropped.”

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Pa. lawmakers struggle with extending limit for sex abuse victims to sue

PENNSYLVANIA
The Times Heald

By First in a Series, By Kathleen E. Carey, kcarey@21st-centurymedia.com, @dtbusiness
POSTED: 10/02/16

Childhood sexual abuse is devastating. Its long-term effects impact many facets of society.

It’s an issue that is complex and disconcerting. Many from our homes, schools, churches, law enforcement agencies and governmental institutions grapple to contain and maybe, someday, eradicate it.

The sexual abuse of minors is a worldwide epidemic that captured much attention here in the United States 14 years ago with the abuse and concealment found in the Archdiocese of Boston. Here, more than 60 priests under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia were identified in 2005 and 2011 grand jury reports to have abused dozens of children. Various legislative efforts have been made to address this legacy.

In an Archdiocese of Philadelphia training film shown to create safe environments for children, Dr. David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, explained that between 5 and 10 percent of adult men and 20 percent of women say they were molested as children.

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Lawyers in child abuse inquiry rake in £3MILLION before investigation even starts

UNITED KINGDOM
The Sun

BY GARY O’SHEA 2nd October 2016

LAWYERS in a child abuse inquiry over claims of an Establishment cover-up have raked in £3million before it even starts.

The fees are part of a £14.7million bill since Theresa May announced the probe in 2014 as Home Secretary.

The cost was revealed after three top lawyers became the ­latest key figures to quit the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

QC Ben Emmerson, 53, on £400,000 a year, had been suspended after Professor Alexis Jay, its fourth chairman, said she was “very concerned about aspects of his leadership”.

He went two weeks after his deputy Elizabeth Prochaska left.

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October 1, 2016

Educators accused of sexual misconduct often find new posts

UNITED STATES
Boston Globe

By Jenn Abelson, Bella English, Jonathan Saltzman and Todd Wallack GLOBE STAFF OCTOBER 01, 2016

Vermont Academy fired an assistant dean in 2007 for allegedly propositioning a 16-year-old female student in lewd text messages. Yet the boarding school still produced three recommendations for its former employee, and he landed a job months later at Wesleyan University in Connecticut — overseeing student sexual misconduct hearings.

Brooks School in North Andover kicked a former admissions officer out of her campus residence in 1993 after she was accused of sexual misconduct with a male student. Even after her banishment — and Brooks’s $300,000 settlement with the student and his family — the admissions officer held jobs at two more private schools in Massachusetts.

And at Emma Willard School, a private school in Troy, N.Y., a teacher was fired in 1998 after he allegedly raped a student. But the school still wrote him two recommendations, and he later found a job at a private school in Connecticut.

The Globe Spotlight Team, as part of its ongoing investigation of sexual misconduct at the region’s private schools, identified 31 educators since the 1970s who, after being accused of sexually exploiting, assaulting, or harassing students, moved on to work at other schools or other settings with children, sometimes with a warm recommendation letter in hand. …

That total doesn’t include the notorious case of an athletic trainer at St. George’s School in Rhode Island who got a recommendation but didn’t take a new job. Headmaster Tony Zane wrote a letter of recommendation in 1980 for Al Gibbs, whom he had just dismissed amid allegations that Gibbs had sexually abused female students in the training room. Gibbs “has had a great deal of experience as a trainer, and he is most certainly competent,” Zane wrote — the same day he sent a St. George’s colleague a letter saying that Gibbs could not return to school “because of Al’s behavior in the training room.’’ A total of 31 former St. George’s students recently told investigators that Gibbs — who died in 1996 — harassed, groped, or raped them.

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The child sex abuse inquiry has a bad history –and no future

UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

JULIET SAMUEL

1 OCTOBER 2016

Where does history end and the present day begin? It sounds like a trick interview question for Oxford – with a smarty pants answer, like: “Now!” But this strange, metaphysical puzzle is one of the crucial questions that has to be answered by the vast, sprawling and unmanageable Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

The inquiry was launched in 2014 with the worthy goal of uncovering how various institutions had failed to protect children from abuse. It was going to learn lessons, admit wrongdoing and deliver catharsis and recognition for survivors. Instead, the inquiry is in serious trouble. Only the Home Secretary can save it, but she is sitting on the sidelines with her hands up, refusing to get involved. This is a big mistake: Amber Rudd must stop ducking responsibility and step in to stop the whole thing falling apart.

This week has brought public confidence to a new low. The inquiry saw its most senior lawyer, the highly respected QC Ben Emmerson, quit. We learnt that his deputy, Elizabeth Prochaska, left a fortnight ago. It has not heard a single day of evidence and is on its fourth chairwoman, having lost its first three – all judges – to allegations of conflicts of interest or incompetence. Survivors’ groups are in despair.

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‘No specific plans’ for excavations on the grounds of Mother and Baby Homes

Saturday, October 01, 2016
IRELAND
Irish Examiner

By Conall Ó Fátharta
Irish Examiner Reporter

There are “no specific plans” to carry out excavations on the grounds of other Mother and Baby Homes yet, as a preliminary excavation was approved for a site where almost 800 children from the Tuam Mother and Baby Home are reportedly buried.

The Mother and Baby Homes Commission said work will begin on the site from today and continue for approximately five weeks. It will be led by a team of specialist archaeologists under a forensic archaeologist, with the full co-operation of gardaí.

“The purpose of the excavation is to resolve a number of queries that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission has in relation to the interment of human remains at this location,” said a statement.

To date, the site in Tuam is the only site to have been physically examined for remains. Despite evidence of a higher death rate at Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork and deaths in other institutions, the commission said: “There are no specific plans to carry out other excavations yet” at other sites. But it added that “no definite decisions have been made”.

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Pressure on Theresa May to curb £100million child sex abuse inquiry

UNITED KINGDOM
Express

By JOHN TWOMEY
Fri, Sep 30, 2016

One of Britain’s most eminent lawyers urged the Prime Minister to give the unwieldy investigation a major overhaul. Veteran barrister Michael Mansfield, QC, said he would consider acting as co-chairman of the investigation which he said badly needed shaking up.

He spoke after lead counsel Ben Emmerson, QC, and first junior counsel Elizabeth Prochaska both stepped down.

As chairwoman Alexis Jay was dealing with the resignations, the inquiry was dealt a further blow as it faced a challenge from the family of the late Lord Janner. Allegations against the former Labour MP are the subject of one of the 13 separate investigations by the inquiry.

Lord Janner’s family fear public sessions will descend into a kangaroo court with no chance to cross-examine alleged victims. Mrs May was Home Secretary when she set up the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse two years ago.

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Dismantle the child abuse inquiry and focus on learning lessons for the future

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Simon Jenkins

The inquiry into historical sex abuse of children was never fit for purpose and should be dismantled. Something may then be salvaged from the wreck. Like too many inquiries into past history, it was flawed from the start. The reason is that it confused two separate issues, a public interest in the failings of public administration, and a desire from a group of specific victims for justice. The home secretary responsible, Theresa May, clearly never understood the distinction.

No one reading of the suffering of victims of past sex abuse, as of Bloody Sunday, the Hillsborough tragedy or the Iraq war, could do other than sympathise. The survivors have a clear right to know what went wrong, including in their cases. But consideration has to be given to proportionality.

The sex abuse inquiry has become 13 separate inquiries costing tens of millions of pounds. Some have effectively become retrospective trials, but with the victims allowed in effect to vet the judges and the terms of reference. No statute of limitation applies. The inquiries have spawned so much police activity that it is reported that a third of police time in some forces is devoted to it. Is this in the public interest? These inquiries have become monuments to the collapsing self-confidence of British public administration. This cannot be in anyone’s interest, least of all the victims.

The right to justice is absolute. But as soon as it is recognised it is qualified. Historical sex abuse by its nature suffers from the passage of time, from witness reliability, the difficulty of collecting evidence and changed attitudes to sexual behaviour – however welcome that change has been. The impact on an individual of wrongs suffered decades ago is undeniable. But justice for the accuser has to be balanced with justice for the accused. The yearning for individual justice for a past injury is not the same as learning lessons and putting in place today the means of preventing them.

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Don’t cancel the child abuse inquiry. No matter how much it’s hurt us survivors

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

James Rhodes

In early August when I heard that Lowell Goddard had chosen to step down from the child abuse inquiry, I literally started to cry. That she initially resigned without any explanation made it even worse. It was a sharp shock. Survivors of sexual abuse are used to the world opening up underneath their feet and dropping down into nothingness, and that same feeling of upset returned to me from over 30 years ago when I heard the news. The chaos, rumours, resignations and industrial-strength ineptness that have both preceded Goddard and, more disconcertingly, followed her exit – culminating this week in not only the departure of Ben Emmerson QC but also his deputy Elizabeth Prochaska – have left me with just a single question: what the actual fuck is happening here?

The key issue for me, and probably for most of the survivors who this inquiry was designed to give a voice to, is one of trust. Theresa May fought for this inquiry. She fought for us. Back in July 2014 when she announced it as home secretary, you could almost see the eye-rolling going on among certain Tory party members. Yet, to her immense credit, she persevered. And then came the catalogue of mistakes, disasters and obstructions that, to all but the most naive of us, simply scream cover-up.

I don’t like the term “victim”. I prefer “survivor with shrapnel”. And speaking as one of those survivors, let me make it clear that even more debilitating than the physical pain of abuse, is the loneliness: for a child who is suffering sexual abuse, fear, when coupled with exhaustion, leads to indescribable isolation. Family members are often the worst people to speak to (in many cases they are the perpetrators, or they are aware of what is happening and are doing nothing), and there is often no one else to turn to. Even if there is a friendly teacher, the fear of what will happen if you speak out is invariably greater than the courage it takes to do so.

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Visible progress needed in child sexual abuse inquiry

UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

By Tom Symonds
Home affairs correspondent, BBC News

Child abuse is a deeply difficult challenge for all institutions. It is hard to prevent, detect, investigate, and, report on.

So no-one expected the work of what is sure to be Britain’s biggest public inquiry to be easy.

But the challenges of trying to get it going will be of interest to students of public policy for decades to come.

The very fact that it is on its fourth chairwoman means that all involved have given up the usual shorthand of referring to it using the name of the person running it.

It is no longer the “Goddard Inquiry”, or the “Jay Inquiry”.

Now, it is simply IICSA, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

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Child sex abuse inquiry: victims anxious after counsels’ resignations

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Owen Bowcott, Sandra Laville and Peter Walker
Friday 30 September 2016

Confidence in the troubled national inquiry into child abuse is in danger of draining away following the latest resignations, lawyers for the victims have said.

A weekly meeting between survivors’ representatives and the leadership of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) lasted all day on Friday as they sought reassurance that its original, ambitious aims would be preserved.

Confirmation of the departure of Ben Emmerson QC, lead counsel to the inquiry, as well as his deputy, Elizabeth Prochaska, both barristers at Matrix Chambers, have left many of those engaged with the inquiry demoralised and anxious.

Another lawyer has also stepped down. Abigail Bright, a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, left because of delays in the module dealing with allegations surrounding the former Labour MP Greville Janner.

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Victims’ legal threat to withdraw from child sex abuse inquiry in support of senior lawyer

UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

Robert Mendick, chief reporter
30 SEPTEMBER 2016

Victims are set to withdraw their support from the national inquiry into historic child sex abuse in protest over the suspension and subsequent resignation of the senior lawyer in charge.

A prominent abuse survivor said he and about 100 other victims will stop working with the inquiry unless Ben Emmerson QC is reinstated.

Andi Lavery, of Catholic survivor group White Flowers Alba, accused the inquiry’s chairman Alexis Jay of being “out of her depth” and demanded she be replaced by Mr Emmerson.

The group has issued a legal ultimatum, giving the inquiry a week to justify Mr Emmerson’s departure.

Lawyers acting for the group have sent a legal letter to the inquiry accusing it of ‘dehumanising’ the victims by forcing out Mr Emmerson, adding: “Our clients consider this treatment of them to be a continuation of the abuse they suffered in the past.”

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Nienstedt Concelebrates Deacon Ordinations in Rome

MINNESOTA
Canonical Consultation

Jennifer Haselberger

10/01/2016

Earlier this week, as media in the Twin Cities were beginning to page through the 900 pages of documents released by the Ramsey County Attorneys Office, the subject of those documents, Archbishop John Nienstedt, was on hand as two seminarians for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis were ordained to the transitional diaconate.

To anyone familiar with the contents of those 900 documents, his presence at the ordinations was as predictable as it was troubling. It is also another sign that, despite his resignation, there have been few if any consequences for his role in the sexual abuse scandal that continues to plague the Archdiocese.

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Ceremony to welcome new Bishop of Oxford is overshadowed by protest

UNITED KINGDOM
ITV

[with video]

Hundreds of people gathered today for the official appointment of the new Bishop of Oxford. But his ceremony was overshadowed by controversy – with a man known only as Michael claiming that the Bishop failed to properly investigate allegations of sexual abuse by a priest in the 1980s. Two alleged victims led a peaceful demonstration outside the consecration – calling on the The Rt Rev Dr Steven Croft to address the issues. Reverend Croft becomes the 43rd bishop of Oxford – our reporter Emma Wilkinson went to meet him.

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Sex abuse survivors protest outside Christ Church enthronement and accuse bishop of ignoring rape claims

UNITED KINGDOM
Oxford Times

Sophie Grubb

AN alleged sex abuse survivor protested outside Christ Church as the Rt Rev Steven Croft glided past in his gown for his inauguration service today.

The man, who asked to be called ‘Michael’, claims rape offences committed against him in 1984 were repeatedly ignored by Revd Croft, after he finally found the courage to expose his abuser.

He lodged a formal complaint of misconduct against the Bishop earlier this year to the Church of England, for safeguarding failures, and said it was “inappropriate” that the inauguration went ahead.

He said: “He will never know what it took to tell him, or the hurt he caused by doing absolutely nothing.

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What next for the child abuse inquiry after its top lawyer’s departure?

UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian

Sandra Laville

Friday 30 September 2016

What does the resignation of the lead counsel to the child abuse inquiry mean?

Few doubt that departure of Ben Emmerson QC, who for the last two years has been lead counsel to the national child abuse inquiry, is anything other than a damaging blow to its operations. The inquiry emerged from the shockwaves of the Jimmy Savile revelations, which exposed for the first time how an abuser could operate in plain sight within institutions from the National Health Service to the BBC.

Since its inception in July 2014 as the brainchild of then home secretary Theresa May, the inquiry has had Emmerson at its core. But his departure is unlikely to bring it crashing down. Politically, too much rests on making sure it continues, particularly as May was so personally involved in setting it up in the first place. May has also faced down opportunities to turn her back on the inquiry and see it closed in the past; particularly after the first major debacle, when it was redrawn and given statutory footing, following the departure of two chairwomen.

What is going on behind the scenes?

That is not completely clear. Emmerson, it seemed, wanted to resign as he felt unable to carry out the work under the new chair, Alexis Jay, who is reviewing the inquiry’s procedures. He attempted to resign on Wednesday, but was suspended late in the evening over “recent concerns” about his leadership. Twenty-four hours later, however, Jay allowed him to resign and thanked him for all his work. Whatever is going on behind closed doors, the image is of an inquiry riven by divisions, which are now spilling out in public. Several survivors’ and victims’ groups have expressed grave concerns about what looks like chaos at the heart of the inquiry.

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Italian filmmaker pushed for new probe into disappearance of Vatican employee’s child

UNITED STATES
Catholic Culture

September 30, 2016

An Italian film director has said that his latest effort is a bid to prod Italian police to reopen their investigation into the case of Emanuela Orlandi, the teenage daughter of a Vatican employee, who disappeared in 1983.

Roberto Faenza’s movie, The Truth Is in the Sky, explores the efforts by journalists to explain the girl’s disappearance. The film’s title is taken from a phrase used by Pope Francis when he met with the Orlandi family.

Italian investigators have long suspected that Emanuela Orlandi was abducted by a Mafia gang, and speculation about her disappearance has included theories about a plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II, the possible entanglement of the Vatican bank, corruption within the Roman police force, and suspicions of a pedophile ring. But prosecutors have not produced solid evidence to support any of these theories, and earlier this year an Italian court affirmed a decision to suspend the investigation.

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Vatican preparing to hold canonical trial for Apuron

GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Sep 30, 2016

By Krystal Paco

Father Jeff San Nicolas, the delegate to the administrator, confirmed today the Vatican is preparing to hold a canonical trial for Archbishop Anthony Apuron. Among other issues at the church, Apuron stands accused of molesting at least four altar boys when he was a priest at Mount Carmel parish in Agat.

The priest told KUAM News, “I believe they are in the process of formulating the court, as Archbishop Hon had shared with me. It’s not as if they have a sitting or standing court; these kind of cases are very rare in our church, so they need to put together that type of mechanism in order to put that type of trial. So they’re in this type of preliminary stage right now.”

Apuron was placed on leave earlier this year. In his place, the Vatican appointed Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai as Guam’s apostolic administrator. Hon recently traveled to Rome to urge the Holy See to remove Apuron and appoint another bishop for the Archdiocese of Agana.

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Sex abuse survivors protest outside Christ Church enthronement and accuse bishop of ignoring rape claims

UNITED KINGDOM
Oxford Mail

AN alleged sex abuse survivor protested outside Christ Church as the Rt Rev Steven Croft glided past in his gown for his inauguration service today.

The man, who asked to be called ‘Michael’, claims rape offences committed against him in 1984 were repeatedly ignored by Revd Croft, after he finally found the courage to expose his abuser.

He lodged a formal complaint of misconduct against the Bishop earlier this year to the Church of England, for safeguarding failures, and said it was “inappropriate” that the inauguration went ahead.

He said: “He will never know what it took to tell him, or the hurt he caused by doing absolutely nothing.

“He has got such a thick skin to walk through the streets thinking he is above the law. In any other profession he would have been sacked.

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Former Arapahoe church youth pastor spared prison sentence for sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl

COLORADO
Denver Post

By NOELLE PHILLIPS | nphillips@denverpost.com

A teen-aged girl faced the youth pastor who sexually abused her and told a packed Arapahoe County courtroom how she was considering suicide when the pastor violated her trust and crushed her spirit.

“He never punched me and he never hit me,” the girl said. “But he broke me. As a person I trusted, he shattered what safety was.”

After an hour-long court hearing that featured emotional testimony, fireworks between a judge and prosecutors over sentencing, and a courtroom packed with church members split over the case, Christopher Hutchinson, 37, was sentenced to 20 years of probation as a sex offender. He also received a 90-day jail sentence and was ordered to register as a sex offender by Arapahoe County District Court Judge Natalie Chase.

A jury found Hutchinson guilty in July of one count of sexual assault on a child by a person of in a position of trust and one count of sexual assault on a child. Hutchinson had met his victim while serving as youth pastor at South Fellowship Church in Littleton and was serving as youth pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Parker when he was arrested for the crime.

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Judith Audette appointed new victims assistance coordinator for Worcester Diocese

WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette

By Telegram & Gazette Staff

WORCESTER – Judith Audette has assumed the responsibilities of Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Diocese of Worcester, formally replacing Frances Nugent who died in July, the Catholic Diocese of Worcester announced Thursday.

Mrs. Audette, a licensed clinical social worker, had been assisting in the duties since the vacancy.

“I am grateful for the compassionate expertise that Mrs. Audette brings in helping those who come to us, often decades later, to share the pain of abuse they suffered as children by members of the Church,” Worcester Bishop Robert McManus said in a press release announcing the appointment.

“Her vast experience on the issue, like Mrs. Nugent, will help us to continue to offer healing to victims who come forward seeking healing and hope.”

Mrs. Audette has served as the chairperson of the Diocesan Review Committee for the past seven years and has assisted victims through the Office for Healing and Prevention over the years. She is also the executive director of Pathways of Central Massachusetts and has extensive experience working with both victims and perpetrators of abuse, including for probation or parole.

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Pa. diocese abuse investigations ‘historic,’ advocates say

PENNSYLVANIA
York Daily Record

[with video]

Brandie Kessler, bkessler@ydr.com October 1, 2016

The Harrisburg diocese, which in the summer had responded to York Daily Record requests for information on specific priests accused of child sexual abuse, now says it will no longer answer questions about the diocese’s clergy abuse history.

“Because of the secret and confidential nature of grand jury investigations, the Diocese can’t discuss any specifics about the investigation except to say that the Diocese is cooperating fully with the Office of Attorney General,” Matt Haverstick, the attorney representing the Harrisburg diocese, said in an email.

The Harrisburg diocese had answered some questions regarding allegations of clergy abuse against priests who had at some point worked in the diocese. In August, the York Daily Record published the names of 15 priests who had worked in the diocese at some time and who had, at some time in their careers, been accused of child sexual abuse.

About three weeks later, the Daily Record reported that three more priests with ties to the Harrisburg diocese had been accused of sexual abuse of children at some time in their career. One allegation was new, the diocese said, and it was investigating whether it was credible. An update wasn’t available Thursday because of Haverstick’s statement that the diocese can’t discuss specifics of cases.

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Complaint filed with GPD and AG regarding Monsignor James Benavente

GUAM
KUAM

[with video]

Updated: Sep 30, 2016

By Krystal Paco

In an interesting twist, just hours after the Archdiocese of Agana held a press conference to announce that all allegations of financial mismanagement made against Monsignor James Benavente were invalid, KUAM News has learned that a complaint has been filed by the Catholic Cemeteries of Guam, Inc. with the Guam Police Department and the Attorney General’s office.

According to the complaint Catholic Cemeteries alleges $13,000 was misused for the personal use of Monsignor James Benavente, specifically for his 20th anniversary dinner in 2014.

According to KUAM News files, Archbishop Anthony Apuron removed Monsignor Benavente one week after his 20th anniversary celebration. Benavente was removed as the Rector of the Cathedral and Director of the Catholic Cemeteries.

During this morning’s press conference, the archdiocese cleared him of any allegations of financial mismanagement.

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Archdiocese issues statement after news of complaint about finances

GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Sep 30, 2016

By Sabrina Salas Matanane

Just hours after the Archdiocese of Agana cleared Monsignor James Benavente of any wrongdoing, a complaint was filed by the Catholic Cemeteries of Guam, Inc. with the Guam Police Department and the Attorney General’s Office. According to the complaint, Catholic Cemeteries alleges $13,000 was misused for Monsignor Benavente’s 20th anniversary dinner in 2014.

According to KUAM News files, one week after the monsignor’s 20th anniversary celebration, Archbishop Anthony Apuron removed him as rector of the cathedral and director of the Catholic Cemeteries.

The Archdiocese of Agana issued a statement in response to the complaint stating this matter was addressed and the findings determined Monsignor Benavente to be cleared of any financial irregularities. Additionally, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai also clarified that the Catholic Cemeteries of Guam is an entity of the Archdiocese of Agana and in no way did he authorize any individual to represent the archdiocese nor file such a complaint on behalf of the organization.

He said such misrepresentations constitutes a grave wrong and disobedience that will not be tolerated. Archbishop Hon plans to take immediate and appropriate action to discipline the person or persons involved.

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Complaint filed against Monsignor Benavente

GUAM
Guam Daily Post

Jacqueline Perry Guzman | Post News Staff

Hours after it was announced by the Archdiocese of Agana that Monsignor James Benavente was to be cleared of any financial irregularities, local news media reported complaints had been filed on behalf of Catholic Cemeteries of Guam Inc.

The Post learned a complaint was filed against a member of the Archdiocese of Agana on Sept. 30, according to a release from Captain Kim Santos, spokeswoman for the Guam Police Department. “The case is open and under investigation. No further details are available at this time,” the release stated.

The Archdiocese of Agana sent a statement in response to the report from local news media.

“Late yesterday afternoon, the Archdiocese learned second-hand, from local news media, that an individual had filed a complaint against Monsignor James Benavente with the Guam Police and Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Catholic Cemeteries,” the statement from the archdiocese read.

According to the statement, Catholic Cemeteries of Guam Inc. is an entity of the Archdiocese of Agana.

“Pope Francis entrusted full pastoral responsibility and administrative authority of the Archdiocese to Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, SDB, as Apostolic Administrator of Agana in June,” the statement said.

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Complaint filed against Msgr. James moments after he was cleared

GUAM
Pacific News Center

The report states that Msgr. James Benavente misused over $13,000 in church money for his anniversary dinner.

Guam – Just moments after he was vindicated, a complaint was filed against Msgr. James Benavente for allegedly spending over $13,000 in church money for his personal use.

PNC obtained a board resolution from the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Agana, signed by Attorney Jacque Terlaje, who also represents Archbishop Anthony Apuron in a separate libel and slander lawsuit filed by four of the Archbishop’s alleged sex abuse victims.

The report from the catholic cemeteries was sent to both the Guam Police Department and the Attorney General’s Office today. In the report, it states that two checks were written to a Joshua Perez totaling $13,620 dollars for the purpose of Benavente’s 20th anniversary dinner back in June and July of 2014.

However, attached to the report is a receipt from the Catholic Cemeteries for $14,280 in reimbursement for Benavente’s 20th anniversary dinner.

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