ABUSE TRACKER

UNITED KINGDOM
Premier

Fri 01 Jul 2016
By Aaron James

The Crown Prosecution Service is appealing a decision by a Kosovan court not to extradite a British monk accused of child abuse.

Laurence Soper was arrested and questioned in Italy, where he was living at the time, in 2010 after an alleged victim approached police claiming he had abused him.

He was later released and has not been charged with any crimes.

When British police summoned him again for questioning in 2011 he did not return, sparking what became a five-year Europe-wide manhunt before he was eventually found and arrested in the Kosovan city of Peja earlier this year.

British authorities had requested that he be extradited to the UK, however a Kosovan court blocked the move because under Kosovan law the child abuse allegations against him – some of which date back to the 1970s – had expired.

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.

VATICAN CITY
The Daily Beast

Barbie Latza Nadeau

Pope Benedict is destroying the diary he kept as pope, but not before releasing his tell-all memoir.

ROME—It’s a rare, and indeed, singularly unique opportunity to read what a pope really thinks of the job after it has finished. Pontificates generally end in funerals, not retirements. But in the case of Pope Benedict XVI, who spectacularly retired in 2013, we will soon get that rare glimpse of what it’s really like to be pope when his memoir, Benedict XVI: The Last Conversations, is published on September 9 in Italy and Germany.

Benedict, who has been living in relative seclusion at a convent inside Vatican City, has only been seen a handful of times since stepping out of the limelight. But he has apparently been incredibly busy working with German journalist Peter Seewald on his side of history. Italian national daily Corriere Della Sera obtained rights to excerpt the book, which they announced in a full page spread in Friday’s edition called “My Years as Pope.”

Among what will be the most anticipated nuggets in the memoir are Benedict’s struggle with what he refers to as a “powerful gay lobby” of four or five key people who did all they could to influence key decision makers inside the Roman Curia, according to the paper. The existence of a gay lobby is not surprising since Francis admitted as much when he took the reigns of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013. But what’s extraordinary is the admission by a pope how much power they truly had.

Benedict, who retired amid the Vatileaks scandal during which his butler was convicted of stealing papers from his desk, apparently writes in great detail how he struggled to “break up the group” but stops short of blaming them for his landmark decision to retire, which he says he did out of sheer exhaustion and his own admission that he was not such a good manager, or, as he puts it, lacked “resoluteness in governing.”

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CALIFORNIA
Times of San Diego

POSTED BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR ON JULY 1, 2016

A former seminary student from Ohio, who traveled to San Diego to try to adopt or purchase female toddlers in Tijuana so he could sexually molest them, was sentenced Friday to nearly 16 years in federal prison.

Joel Alexander Wright, 23, pleaded guilty in April to attempted enticement of a minor.

In pronouncing the 188-month sentence, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw called Wright’s conduct “incredibly deeply disturbing and horrific.”

The judge said Wright — who was born severely disabled and has a litany of health problems including blindness — accomplished many things in life but for whatever reason, over the past few years, pursued children.

“It’s an extremely predatory sign,” the judge said. Wright has been diagnosed with paraphilia — a condition characterized by unusual sexual desires — and could be rehabilitated, Sabraw said.

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CALIFORNIA
10 News

SAN DIEGO — A former seminary student from Ohio, who traveled to San Diego to try to adopt or purchase female toddlers in Tijuana so he could sexually molest them, was sentenced Friday to nearly 16 years in federal prison.

Joel Alexander Wright, 23, pleaded guilty in April to attempted enticement of a minor.

In pronouncing the 188-month sentence, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw called Wright’s conduct “incredibly deeply disturbing and horrific.”

The judge said Wright — who was born severely disabled and has a litany of health problems including blindness — accomplished many things in life but for whatever reason, over the past few years, pursued children.

“It’s an extremely predatory sign,” the judge said.

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

CALIFORNIA
10 TV

SAN DIEGO
A former Ohio seminarian who pleaded guilty to trying to adopt or purchase infants from Mexico to sexually molest them has been sentenced to 15 years.

Friday’s sentencing in San Diego comes after Joel Wright, 23, pleaded guilty in April to a federal charge of attempted enticement of a minor. He was also sentenced to lifetime supervision .

Beginning in November 2015, Wright placed Craigslist ads for a Tijuana tour guide, and then told a cooperating witness who responded that he wanted a baby girl for sex. He confided that he wanted to “adopt/own a baby girl and I want to have intercourse with her after I own her but don’t be telling people that.” Wright continued, “I won’t pay until I have seen the baby and I will pay the parents then…the cheapest baby under 3 would be good.”

TIMELINE: Horrifying details uncovered in seminary student’s quest for child sex

Wright acknowledged sending explicit emails describing his desires to assault children, that included infants up to the age of 4.

The person he contacted was cooperating with federal agents and Wright was arrested when he flew into San Diego in January while en route to Tijuana. There, he believed he would film and eventually sell videos of himself raping at least three children under the age of three. He was carrying $2,000 in cash along with baby clothes, lubricant, two cell phones, sleep aids, toys and candy in his luggage.

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FRANCE
Europe 1

[Four priests accused to sexual abuse have been suspended by the Lyon archdiocese.]

D’autres prêtres du diocèse vont faire l’objet de mesures d’accompagnement et d’un “suivi” du diocèse.

Quatre prêtres ont été relevés de leur ministère par le cardinal Philippe Barbarin, pour des faits d’abus sexuels, après avis d’un collège d’experts, a indiqué jeudi le diocèse de Lyon. “Il s’agit de prêtres mis en cause ou non dans la presse, déjà condamnés ou non”, a déclaré une source diocésaine. “Pour toutes les situations concernées, les faits sont connus de l’autorité judiciaire”, précise un communiqué du diocèse.

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VATICAN CITY
Crux

Inés San Martín
July 1, 2016
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT

In a new interview book to appear in September, emeritus Pope Benedict XVI says there was indeed a “gay lobby” inside the Vatican, but says it only had four or five members, that he dismantled it, and that it was not the reason he resigned in February 2013.

ROME-During the days following his historic resignation, many observers speculated that an alleged “gay lobby” within the Vatican had pressured Benedict XVI to step down. In a new interview-book, the emeritus pope admits to the existence of such a lobby, but says it had only “four or five members” and that he’d managed to dismantle it.

Benedict XVI, Final Conversations is the title of the book to be released worldwide on September 9.
This is the first time a pope, or a pope emeritus, has acknowledged on the record that the Vatican either has or had a “gay lobby”. Pope Francis reportedly said one existed soon after his election in 2013, when he had a private meeting with the leaders of the Latin American Confederation of Religious Orders (CLAR).

Yet the Vatican said that encounter was a private one, and CLAR released a statement saying the words couldn’t be attributed to the pope.

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NEW MEXICO
Gallup Independent

Published in the Gallup Independent, Gallup, N.M., June 30, 2016

Last week at the Diocese of Gallup’s confirmation hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Bishop James S. Wall offered something that a lot of people in the diocese have been expecting from him for years: an apology to those who have been sexually abused by clergy and others working in this diocese.

“I want to first begin by acknowledging the reason why we’re here today, and the reason is because bad people, bad men committed bad and sinful acts against good people,” Wall told the abuse survivors in the courtroom. “And there’s no excuse for that. There never was and there never will be an excuse for that.”

Actually, the actions of those sex abusers went far beyond being bad and sinful. They were criminal acts that were covered up both by the perpetrators and their superiors in the Gallup chancery. That is something Wall needs to acknowledge.

However, we recognize Wall’s apology as an important first step. It took courage for him to sit in that courtroom and apologize. But first it took the courage of 13 abuse survivors who filed public lawsuits against the Gallup Diocese, thereby refusing to go along with the diocese’s usual practice of making backroom, confidential settlement deals. And then it took the humbling power of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court system to get Wall into that courtroom chair.

So now that Wall has made that first step, there are a couple of important issues to note.

First, we have heard similar apologies in the past. The late Bishop Donald E. Pelotte went to Winslow, Arizona, more than a decade ago and offered similar apologies that sounded similarly heartfelt. But they proved to be merely apologetic words that were never backed up with sincere actions.

In another highly publicized event, Pelotte also met with several abuse survivors — including one who spoke at last week’s court hearing. The survivors presented Pelotte with an extensive list of names of suspected clergy sex abusers that Pelotte promised to investigate. Pelotte also promised the diocese would launch a “search and rescue” effort to locate Native American abuse victims across the diocese. What happened to those promises? The list of names was filed away for several years, never to be seen again until the Rev. John Boland — whose name had been on the list — was abruptly removed from ministry, leaving chancery officials to launch a frantic search for the list of names. And as for the promised “search and rescue” effort, it never happened.

Secondly, we need to consider Wall’s own record. When he arrived in 2009, Wall made national headlines for promising to review every past and present clergy personnel file and quickly release the names of credibly accused abusers. That didn’t happen until more than five years later — after the diocese landed in bankruptcy court. Even today the list is incomplete and inaccurate. Wall also promised to publicly release information about the diocese’s investigation into Boland. That has never happened.

And in 2011, two years after Wall’s arrival in Gallup, the public learned he had never even bothered to meet with the diocese’s sex abuse review board. Nowadays, Wall keeps the identity of those board members confidential. Is that to prevent the public and the media from checking on the status of that board?

For seven years, Wall has not even provided Catholic parishioners truthful and straightforward answers about why a number of current priests have abruptly vanished from their ministry assignments. And most recently, Wall and his bankruptcy attorneys stonewalled the requests of abuse survivors for the public release of personnel files of credibly accused abusers. Why was that? Perhaps because those files would provide evidence of the abuse cover-ups perpetrated by high ranking officials in the diocese?

So the question we have to ask is just how sincere was Wall’s courtroom apology? Was it just something he had to say to get the diocese’s plan of reorganization confirmed in bankruptcy court?

If Wall is sincere, he can begin to prove it by carrying out the plan’s non-monetary commitments with transparency and truthfulness. One of those provisions states Wall must visit each operating Catholic parish or school where sexual abuse occurred or where abusers served, and Wall “shall provide a forum/discussion during his visit to address questions and comments.”

The provision doesn’t say conduct a prayer service; it says provide a forum/discussion. We haven’t seen Wall do this anywhere before, so this will be another important step. Does Wall have the courage to do it? Both abuse survivors and Catholics in the pews deserve honest answers about clergy sexual abuse and misconduct as well as other issues facing the diocese today.

If Wall wants us to believe that he is really sorry, he’s going have to offer more than just apologetic words. We’ll be watching his actions.

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

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PENNSYLVANIA
Dumas Law Group

July 1, 2016 By Gilion Dumas

Pennsylvania failed victims of child sexual abuse and caved into pressure from the Catholic Church and insurance companies. Faced with the chance to fully reform the state’s statute of limitations for civil claims, the state Senate balked.

By a 9-4 vote, the Judiciary Committee of the Pennsylvania State Senate passed an amendment stripping the provision that would have made the law apply retroactively. That clause was necessary to allow victims abused in decades past to file lawsuits. The Pennsylvania House had earlier passed its version of the bill containing just such a retroactivity provision.

Some opponents of retroactivity said they believed it was unconstitutional. This is a weak excuse. Courts consistently uphold these retroactivity clauses in civil statutes of limitations, as the courts have done in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.

The Judiciary Committee’s vote is a shame. The well-publicized findings of two Philadelphia grand jury reports and the recent Altoona-Johnstown report on the rampant sex abuse of Catholic children in Pennsylvania should have moved Committee members to vote in favor of the bill with its retroactivity provision intact. Victim advocates, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, and several high-profile prosecutors have supported retroactivity since the first of several grand jury reports exposing decades of clergy abuse within Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania.

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GUAM
Guam Daily Post

John O’Connor | Post News Staff

While the Archdiocese of Agana, under the direction of Archbishop Anthony Apuron, indicated it would seek legal action against the archbishop’s accusers, the church now finds itself the target of a lawsuit from the same individuals whose allegations it denied.

The four accusers so far – Roland Sondia, Walter Denton, Edith Doris Concepcion and Roy Quintanilla – filed a complaint for libel and slander against the archdiocese and Apuron yesterday at the Superior Court of Guam.

The complaint referenced the various statements Apuron and the archdiocese released prior to the archbishop’s removal from church matters by the Vatican. Quintanilla was the first among the four to come forward with allegations of abuse in May followed shortly by Concepcion, who claimed her son, Joseph Quinata, had also been abused.

Apuron denied both allegations, and subsequent releases from the archdiocese characterized the accusations as malicious attacks to discredit the archbishop. Shortly after Concepcion came forward, a release was issued on behalf of the archdiocese stating it was “in the process of taking canonical and legal measures against those perpetrating these malicious lies.”

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KANSAS
Raw Story

TRAVIS GETTYS
01 JUL 2016

A Kansas church is asking a court to help punish two girls who sued over sexual abuse by a former vacation Bible school volunteer.

Kessler Lichtenegger, a former volunteer at Westside Family Church, pleaded guilty last year to attempted rape and attempted electronic solicitation involving two girls who attended the church.

The girls, who were both younger than 14 years old, and their families filed a lawsuit June 9 that alleges church officials knew about Lichtenegger’s extensive past sexual conduct and crimes involving children.

Officials at the Southern Baptist church denied knowledge of those previous juvenile convictions, but admittedly knew they should pay close attention to Lichtenegger, who was 17 years old when he volunteered for the summer Bible school in 2014 and assaulted one of the girls in the parking lot.

However, the lawsuit accuses church officials of ignoring their own protocols and allowing Lichtenegger to be around children outside of his father’s supervision.

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RHODE ISLAND
The Valley Breeze

WOONSOCKET – A priest who served in the Diocese of Providence for nearly 50 years, including a stint in Woonsocket, was removed from service this week under allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Rev. Samuel Turillo was ordained to the priesthood in 1946 and served at St. Anthony in Woonsocket from 1962-1965. He retired from active ministry in 1994 and will soon be 96 years old. Turillo has now been prohibited by the diocese from exercising sacred ministry over an incident that allegedly took place 60 years ago.

In a statement, diocese officials said the had received an accusation and immediately reported the information to the Rhode Island State Police and the Attorney General’s Office.

“Simultaneously, diocesan officials launched an investigation that concluded the allegation was of a credible nature,” it states. “The Diocese of Providence takes very seriously all allegations of abuse and works closely with law enforcement agencies in accordance with the Charter and diocesan policy when an allegation of abuse is reported. Church law is firm and consistent regardless of the age of the accused priest or the time frame of the alleged incident.”

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CALIFORNIA
CBS 8

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A former seminary student from Ohio who tried to adopt or purchase female toddlers in Tijuana so he could sexually molest them is scheduled to be sentenced Friday at the federal courthouse in San Diego.

Joel Alexander Wright pleaded guilty in April to attempted enticement of a minor.

The defendant admitted that he was the author of numerous sexually explicit emails in which he described to a cooperating witness and an undercover federal agent how he intended to sexually assault various children in Mexico, up to 4 years old.

Wright admitted that beginning in November, he placed ads on Craigslist Tijuana purporting to seek a female tour guide. When he received a response from a cooperating witness, Wright confided that he wanted to “adopt/own a baby girl (under the age of 3) and I want to have intercourse with her after I own her but don’t be telling people that … I won’t pay until I have seen the baby and I will pay the parents then … the cheapest baby under 3 would be good.”

In another email to an undercover agent, Wright admitted that he wrote he had “picked up an infant pain relief med and a pretty outfit which I think should fit the 1- or 2-year old.” Wright also wrote that he had purchased an American Airlines ticket to travel from Ohio to San Diego last Jan. 29.

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UNITED STATES
Project Jewish Kids

In 2013, Yeshiva University was sued by 34 plaintiffs alleging they were sexually abused when they were students there. Although the Torah does not recognize a statute of limitations, Y.U. invoked this arbitrary secular law that Judaism rejects to get the lawsuit dismissed because the plaintiffs filed their claims too late.

Due to the scandalous revelations contained in the lawsuit and the resultant public outcry, Y.U. hired a law firm to investigate itself. Y.U.’s Board of Trustees pledged to make public the “specific details” of the investigation. But before the report could be made public, the law firm claimed that a “Special Committee” (it doesn’t say who was on the committee) had intervened and directed it not to report the details, reneging on Y.U.’s public pledge of transparency. The result was that the law firm issued a 53-page report that said nothing about the pervasive sexual and physical abuse of Y.U. students except for a vague 3-paragraph summary buried on page 8.

The summary stated the obvious and what was already known from the massive Y.U. lawsuit. That numerous students were indeed sexually and physically abused over the course of many years by a number of individuals in a position of authority. It also stated that the abuse wasn’t just limited to Y.U’s high school, but extended to other Y.U. facilities that were not identified. It further stated that members of Y.U.’s administration were aware of the abuse, and on multiple occasions did not act to protect its students and sometimes didn’t even respond to allegations of abuse.

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FRANCE
RFI

The Archbishop of Lyon has fired four priests for child sex abuse as police investigate allegations that he failed to remove other paedophile priests in the past. The French Catholic Church on Friday changed the head of its anti-paedophilia unit and appointed a lay member as a full-time member of the body.

Lyon Archbishop Cardinal Philippe Barbarin relieved four unnamed priests of their functions on Thursday, following advice from a group of experts, including a judge, a psychiatrist and parents.

Other priests, who have already been convicted, are to be individually monitored.

All the cases are known to the judicial authorities, said the diocese, which has been rocked by scandal for more than six months following revelations that no action had been taken against several priests accused of sexual abuse over the course of many years.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

A high-ranking MI5 officer has rejected claims that child abuse at an infamous Belfast boys’ home was exploited as part of an intelligence operation.

The anonymised deputy director, known only as 9004, also said the UK security service only became aware of abuse at Kincora in 1980, when allegations broke in the media.

He said: “I can certainly deny that we were ever involved in an operation to exploit abuse that was taking place at Kincora for intelligence purposes.”

Officer 9004 was giving evidence via videolink from an undisclosed location to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry which is examining allegations a paedophile ring preyed on vulnerable young boys at the former east Belfast home during the 1970s.

It has long been alleged the security services knew about the abuse but did nothing, and instead used the information to blackmail the prominent people such as politicians, judges, civil servants and police officers who were the perpetrators.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
BBC News

A deputy director of MI5 has told the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry that it was 1980 before it became aware of child abuse at Kincora boys’ home in east Belfast.

The officer, known as 9004, gave evidence anonymously via video link.

He told Sir Anthony Hart’s panel it was “The first time we have unambiguous information” about the abuse.

Three senior ca
re workers at the home were jailed in 1981 for sexually abusing boys in their care.
Mainstream
One of those, William McGrath, was the leader of the loyalist organisation Tara.

Officer 9004 said they did have information on Tara in the 1970s, but it was largely a fringe group.

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CANADA
Nunatsiaq Online

JIM BELL

OTTAWA — As long as fugitive priest Joannes Rivoire, 85, remains at large in France, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate should not be allowed to celebrate their 200th anniversary in peace, a small group of activists declared June 29 in Ottawa.

Inuit leader Piita Irniq, along with human rights activist Lieve Halsberghe and supporter Susie Utatnaaq, a former Baker Lake resident who now lives in Ottawa, gathered in front of the Edifice Deschâtelets, a building in Old Ottawa East that once stood at the centre of Roman Catholic power in eastern Ontario and served as a training school for many Oblate missionaries.

Irniq alleges that Rivoire’s sexual abuse of his lifelong friend Marius Tungilik contributed to the trauma that led to Tungilik’s death in 2012 at age 55.

While standing in front of the Oblate building, Irniq and his supporters displayed photos of Tungilik, including a photo taken of him in Naujaat when he was aged about 14.

“Father Rivoire is the reason why Marius died. I truly believe that. And that is what Marius believed as well and that is why he drank. He could never get over Father Rivoire,” Irniq said.

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NEW YORK
Road to Recovery

A religious order of priests and brothers, the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province, refuses to help a woman who is a childhood sexual abuse victim of Fr. Paul A. Walsh OFM, a/k/a Fr. La Salle A. Walsh, OFM, a priest who served at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church and Preparatory School in Kingston, Jamaica

Woman who was sexually abused at approximately the age of ten (10) in approximately 1962 by Fr. Paul A. Walsh, OFM, a/k/a Fr. La Salle Walsh, OFM, wants the Franciscan Friars to pay for the cost of her therapy, resolve her clergy sexual abuse claim, and help her try to heal

What
A demonstration and leafleting regarding the Franciscan Friars’ Holy Name Province refusal to help a childhood sexual abuse victim of a Franciscan Friar, Fr. Paul A. Walsh, a/k/a Fr. La Salle A. Walsh, from Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church and Preparatory School in Kingston, Jamaica

When
Friday, July 1, 2016 from 11:00 am until 1:15 pm

Where
On the public sidewalk outside the headquarters of the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Name Province, 129 West 30th Street, New York, New York 10001 – 646-473-0265

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

Why
A woman who was approximately ten-years old in the 1960s and sexually abused by Fr. Paul A. Walsh, a/k/a Fr. La Salle A. Walsh, OFM, at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church and Preparatory School in Kingston, Jamaica, wants the Holy Name Province of the Franciscans to pay for her therapy, resolve her claim, and help her try to heal. Demonstrators will demand of the Holy Name Province of the Franciscans that it help the woman who was sexually abused as a child by a Franciscan priest try to heal by paying for her therapy and resolving her clergy sexual abuse claim in a timely and just manner.

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

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AUSTRALIA
Scribe

‘Who gave you permission to speak to anybody?’ Rabbi Telsner, the leader of the Yeshivah Centre, thundered during his regular weekly sermon. It was a question directed to Manny Waks’s father, after Manny had finally gone public with his accusations of sexual abuse and its cover-up within the centre.

Manny Waks was raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family, the second oldest of 17 children. As an adolescent he was sexually abused at the religious school across the road from where he lived. Betrayed by those he trusted, Manny rebelled against his way of life, though he later went on to become a prominent Jewish community leader.

In mid-2011 Manny went public about his experiences to bring justice to the abusers, and those who covered up their crimes. For his courage in speaking out, Manny and his family were intimidated and shunned by their community. Although he has been forced to leave Australia, Manny continues to advocate for survivors and hold those in power to account.

This is the story of a man who shattered a powerful code of silence, the battles he has fought, the vindication he has earned, and the extraordinary toll it has taken on his personal life and that of his loved ones.

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UNITED STATES
Elmad

Posted by Judy Klitsner on June 28, 2016

As I recently sat in a movie theater watching the Oscar-winning Spotlight, one recurring thought dominated all others: I could have written this script. Although the film focuses on abusive priests and the Catholic Church that protected them, the patterns and ingredients were all painfully familiar from my own experiences in a Jewish youth group in the 1970’s.

In my teenage years, I came into contact with a charismatic, powerful rabbi who regularly blurred the lines between religious leadership and his own need for physical and psychological gratification. I watched as he carefully selected and “groomed” specific teenagers, using his position of religious authority in order to manipulate young minds and to create an ever-increasing cadre of loyal followers who would follow his every directive. The rabbi was not particularly careful in hiding his actions; those around him would make knowing jokes about his behavior without ever attempting to stop him. In fact, when the rabbi tried to assault me and I threatened to speak to his superiors, he laughed and assured me I would be telling them nothing they did not already know.

In the years following my experience, I have come to terms with the fact that there are sociopaths in every realm of life, and that the clergy is no exception. What I have found much more difficult to accept is the web of support surrounding the offender: too often, communal leaders and members willfully refuse to protect victims and potential victims of predatory spiritual leaders. In my efforts to understand this persistent lack of moral action, I have observed the following processes: feelings of collegiality, of cognitive dissonance (such a holy person could not have done such spotlight-movie 510x300__OPterrible things), a misguided concern about lashon ha-ra (speaking ill of others), and fear for one’s own position or livelihood in challenging a colleague of great power and stature. To my mind, worst of all is a kind of cost-benefit analysis in human lives, which suggests that if the offending spiritual leader does more good than harm, it is best to not to interfere. Whatever the motivations are for the protectors, one thing is clear: without their support, the scourge of abusive clergy would be ended.

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KANSAS
Stop Baptist Predators

Christa Brown

A Southern Baptist megachurch that is being sued over sexual abuse inflicted on minor girls has filed a court petition requesting that the girls’ names be made public.

Although sexual abuse lawsuits involving minors are typically filed under “Jane Doe” or “John Doe” pseudonyms in order to preserve the children’s anonymity, Westside Family Church in Lenexa, Kansas, has requested that the court require the children and their mother to proceed in open court under their real names.

David Clohessy, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, described it as a “stunningly callous” and “mean-spirited” tactic.

Clohessy’s organization, SNAP, has been instrumental in bringing countless clergy sex abuse cases into the light of day. It was originally formed by survivors of sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests, but today, SNAP has members who were sexually abused within many other faith groups, including Baptist groups.

Clohessy stated that, in his 28 year history of advocacy work, this was the first time he had ever seen a religious institution seeking to “out” a minor who was bringing forward a claim of sexual abuse. “I’ve never seen a defendant try to ‘out’ kids who are still kids in a child sex case,” he said.

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NEW YORK
Riverdale Press

By Anthony Capote

Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt, who stepped down earlier this year as the leader of the Riverdale Jewish Center amid scrutiny of his naked sauna chats with young boys, has found new work, providing mental health services in Scarsdale.

Scarsdale Integrative Medicine has approached Rabbi Rosenblatt to offer him a job in pastoral and spiritual counseling, Rabbi Rosenblatt’s lawyer said.

“Rabbi Rosenblatt, over the years, did a lot of work at various hospices,” said the attorney, Meyer Koplow. “At one of the hospices where he worked, he did a lot of work with one of the doctors in [Scarsdale Integrative Medicine]. When that doctor became aware that the rabbi was free of his responsibilities at the RJC, he reached out to the rabbi to ask whether he would be interested in doing counseling in this group practice he has.”

Rabbi Rosenblatt announced his resignation from RJC in February, after reports of his naked sauna chats sent ripples through the congregation. The Bronx district attorney found no evidence of criminal activity, but some at RJC argued the rabbi’s actions were inappropriate.

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CITTA’ DEL VATICANO
Corriere della Sera

Un Papa che traccia il bilancio del suo papato. Dopo le dimissioni del 2013, Benedetto XVI rompe il silenzio e racconta se stesso e il suo pontificato in un libro. È la prima volta che accade nella storia della Chiesa. L’uscita, in contemporanea mondiale, è prevista per il 9 settembre: in Italia a pubblicare il libro (Ultime conversazioni, 240 pagine, euro 12,90) sarà Garzanti in libreria e «Corriere della Sera» in edicola.

Dall’infanzia al Vaticano

Il volume, un libro intervista scritto con Peter Seewald, giornalista tedesco autore in passato di altre due conversazioni con il Papa emerito, è una sorta di autobiografia ragionata e tocca tutte le tappe più importanti della vita di Joseph Ratzinger: l’infanzia sotto il regime nazista, la scoperta della vocazione, gli anni difficili della guerra e poi la carriera in Vaticano, fino all’elezione al soglio pontificio, con l’ansia dei primi giorni da successore di Pietro e, alla fine, la decisione sofferta delle dimissioni e la rinuncia al trono di Pietro.

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VATICAN CITY
Channel News Asia

VATICAN CITY: Former Pope Benedict says in his memoirs that no-one pressured him to resign but alleges that a “gay lobby” in the Vatican had tried to influence decisions, a leading Italian newspaper reported on Friday.

The book, called “The Last Conversations”, is the first time in history that a former pope judges his own pontificate after it is over. It is due to be published on Sept. 9.

Citing health reasons, Benedict in 2013 became the first pope in six centuries to resign. He promised to remain “hidden to the world” and has been living in a former convent in the Vatican gardens.

Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily, which has acquired the Italian newspaper rights for excerpts and has access to the book, ran a long article on Friday summarising its key points.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service – Bollettino

Vatican City, 1 July 2016 – The Holy Father appointed Msgr Georg Bätzing as bishop of Limburg (area 6,182, population 2,407,000, Catholics 638,481, priests 434, permanent deacons 70, religious 824), Germany. The bishop-elect was born in Kirchen, Germany in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1987. He holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Trier, and has served in a number of pastoral roles in the diocese of Trier including parish vicar, and vice rector and subsequently rector of the major seminary. In 2005 he was nominated Chaplain of His Holiness. He is currently canon of the Cathedral Chapter and vicar general of the diocese of Trier.

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GERMANY
Daily Mail (UK)

BERLIN (AP) — Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop to lead Germany’s Limburg diocese, ending a more than two-year hiatus after he removed the previous bishop amid an uproar over his costly new residence.

The western German diocese said Friday that Monsignor Georg Baetzing will take the job, succeeding Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst. The 55-year-old Baetzing is currently vicar-general of the Trier diocese.

The pope temporarily expelled Tebartz-van Elst from Limburg in October 2013 pending a church inquiry into his 31 million-euro ($34.4-million) new residence complex. Francis then permanently removed him in March 2014.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Tablet

01 July 2016 | by Sean Smith

A judge in Kosovo has rejected an application to extradite Laurence Soper, the fugitive former abbot of Ealing Abbey in west London, because the crimes he is accused of have expired in the Balkan state.

The Times reported that the Metropolitan Police will appeal the decision to bring Laurence Soper back to the UK for trial. Soper, 72, is wanted in connection with historic child sex abuse cases in England. The former monk, who is no longer a member of the Ealing community, taught at the abbey school, St Benedict’s, in the 1970s and 1980s.

He disappeared from the Benedictine university at Sant’Anselmo in Rome, where he had been working as bursar, in 2011, after failing to return to London for further police questioning about alleged abuse.

A judge sitting in Peja, the western district of Kosovo where Soper was arrested last month, rejected the extradition request this week because the alleged crimes had overrun the 30-year statute of limitations. The Met will appeal and another hearing is expected to take place imminently at the appeal court in the capital, Pristina, The Times reported.

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AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald

JOANNE MCCARTHY
July 1, 2016

HE was the altar boy from a devout Catholic family who wanted to be a brilliant engineer like his father.

He stood in court on Friday, hands shaking and fragile, to tell a judge about life after he was sexually abused for two years by a Marist Brother, and how 20 years of mail sits unopened in plastic bags that fill his house.

He can’t stand paper after Brother Dominic, whose real name is Darcy O’Sullivan, walked the classroom decades ago and sexually abused boys as they sat doing school work, in view of other boys.

“Brother Dominic presented as very confident and urbane but would quickly descend to a deep and barely suppressed anger,” his victim told Judge Kate Traill during a sentencing hearing at Sydney District Court after O’Sullivan, 78, entered guilty pleas to sexual offences against eight victims.

The offences occurred at Marist Brothers Hamilton in the 1970s and at Casino in the early 1980s.

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GUAM
KUAM

[with video]

Updated: Jul 01, 2016

By Krystal Paco

It’s a last resort to get the truth: four of Archbishop Anthony Apuron’s accusers are taking him to court. As of Friday morning, the alleged victims filed a libel and slander lawsuit against not only Apuron, but the Archdiocese of Agana.

He wouldn’t confess to his alleged sins at church, so Archbishop Apuron’s accusers are taking him to court. “Instead of just conducting an honest, transparent investigation, they called every single survivor a liar,” announced Walter Denton before island media at the Guam Territorial Law Library. Instead of using church resources to reach out and help victims, they called us liars. They have avoided and shunned us. They did it 40 years ago, and they are doing it again.” Denton, an alleged survivor of abuse, led Friday’s press conference to detail the elements of the libel and slander lawsuit, which was filed this morning at the Superior Court of Guam and demands a for a jury trial.

All four plaintiffs – Denton, Roy Quintanilla, Roland Sondia, and Doris Concepcion on behalf of her late son Joseph “Sonny” Quinata – are represented by Attorney David Lujan. All of the victims were altar boys at Mount Carmel Parish in Agat when they were allegedly raped or molested by Apuron, who was a priest at the time.

In response, the Archdiocese of Agana fired back – through video statements and press releases – maintaining Apuron’s innocence and calling the alleged victims liars whose intent is a malicious attack on the archbishop and the church. “These statements continue to represent the position of the Agana archdiocese through today,” continued Denton.

The Vatican then placed Apuron on leave and appointed apostolic administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai to cater to the Agana archdiocese. According to the alleged victims, church leadership continues to fail them. Although Archbishop Hon had rescinded decrees previously issued by Apuron, he didn’t detract Apuron’s slanderous statements towards the victims. “Apostolic administrator Archbishop Hon has not attempted to meet with us or to reach out to us,” said Denton.

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KANSAS
Christian Today

Carey Lodge CHRISTIAN TODAY JOURNALIST 01 July 2016

A Kansas church is asking for the identity of two under-age girls who were the victims of sexual assault at a holiday Bible school to be revealed by the court.

Westside Family Church of Lenexa has accused the girls’ family of a “Pearl Harbor-styled barrage of negative publicity,” Baptist News Global reports, after the family “tactically decided to ‘draw fist blood’ on the issue publicly” by leaking the story to the press before notifying the church it was being sued.

The church has therefore called on the case to proceed without the use of pseudonymns to protect the teenagers’ identities.

“Ordinarily, defense counsel would stipulate permission to use of an alias in a case involving a minor claiming sexual abuse. Sadly, the minors’ parents and attorneys have chosen a different path,” the church said.

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NEW YORK
Rome Sentinel

BY SEAN I. MILLS
Staff writer

“Blows that hurt drive off evil.”

This paraphrased Bible verse — from Proverbs 20:30 — was going through Bruce Leonard’s mind as he and fellow Word of Life church members whipped his two sons with a power cord, according to his testimony in County Court Wednesday afternoon.

Lucas and Christopher Leonard had admitted to sexually molesting their younger siblings and nieces and nephews, and Bruce Leonard said he wanted to see them punished.

“So they understood the hurt that they had caused…discipline for punishing them,” Leonard testified. “It was more of a reaction to what they had said.”

Lucas, age 19, later died from his injuries. Christopher, 17, would have died from kidney failure, according to testimony, but he instead spent a week in the hospital.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Argus

Joel Adams, Reporter

THE former Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the Church of England of acting like a “kangaroo court” in its handling of a historic sex abuse case.

In a debate in the House of Lords on historic sexual offences, Lord Carey said he was “deeply unhappy” with the process the Church had undertaken in the case of wartime Bishop of Chichester George Bell and said there was a case for a new approach to be taken in dealing with historic sex offences.

In October, the Diocese of Chichester announced it had paid a settlement to an unnamed survivor of sexual abuse after accusations levelled against the wartime head of the Church in Sussex, who died in 1958. His victim was five at the time.

Former Archbishop Lord Carey said: “I am distressed to make this observation of my own Church but it seems to me in this particular instance its procedures have had the character of a kangaroo court and not a just, compassionate and balanced investigation of the facts.”

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RHODE ISLAND
WPRI

By Annie Shalvey
Published: June 30, 2016

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Providence Diocese announced the removal of a retired priest from the priesthood on Thursday, due to allegations of sexual abuse.

According to the Diocese, Father Samuel Turillo, now 95, is “prohibited from exercising the sacred ministry after the Diocese received a credible accusation regarding alleged sexual misconduct.”

The Diocese said the incident involved a minor and took place approximately 60 years ago.

Turillo had several assignments around Rhode Island from 1946 until his retirement in 1994.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Reading Eagle

By Liam Migdail-Smith
HARRISBURG

The state Senate approved a bill to overhaul Pennsylvania’s child sex abuse laws Thursday, but the legislation lacks the key provision that victims and their advocates had demanded.

The bill did not include language that would allow victims to pursue claims for abuse that occurred decades ago. A bid to restore that retroactive provision to the bill fell short again Thursday.

Senators voted 49-0 Thursday to send the bill back to the state House with changes made Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Senate panel axed a provision that would have allowed victims up to age 50 to sue regardless of when the abuse occurred.

State Sen. Scott Wagner, a York County Republican, unsuccessfully attempted to restore that portion of the bill.

Many supporters of the bill say the legislation has been reduced to a half-measure that fails to provide overdue justice to victims already harmed.

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AUSTRALIA
inDaily

Nick Xenophon is standing firm in his refusal to apologise to the priest he named in parliament as an alleged rapist, saying “it’s not a question of regret” but that the situation “was what it was”.

Catholic priest Ian Dempsey broke years of silence on InDaily last week, when he said he “forgives” but “prays for truth and justice”, after Xenophon in 2011 used parliamentary privilege to air an accusation that he raped fellow student John Hepworth at the St Francis Xavier seminary in Adelaide in the late 1960s and early ’70s. The accusation was never substantiated.

Dempsey said Xenophon’s enduring popularity – which has hit fever pitch ahead of tomorrow’s election, and could see his fledgling party snare a handful of Lower House seats – continued to rankle with him, given the Senator’s refusal to apologise or acknowledge that he had been cleared by subsequent church, police and DPP investigations.

Xenophon yesterday told InDaily he was aware of Dempsey’s remarks but would “rather not comment on it”.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Courier Times

Editorial

Posted: Friday, July 1, 2016

Under a controversial and now emasculated bill passed by a state Senate committee, future victims of child sexual abuse will have until the age of 50 to sue their attackers. Former victims would be out of luck, however.

That’s because most members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to remove a provision of a bill that would have altered the statute of limitations, enabling victims who were attacked as far back as the 1970s to sue their abusers. The alteration comes in the wake of enormous pressure on lawmakers from the Catholic Church, which is worried about a spate of crippling lawsuits, although the official reason for Church opposition is based on a constitutional argument.

Most committee members bought that argument, at least publicly. Among those who rejected the view is state attorney general candidate Sen. John Rafferty, who was endorsed for AG by the Judiciary Committee chairman. “I am Catholic,” Rafferty said, calling priest sex-abuse and church cover-ups outlined in a series of grand jury reports over the last 10 years both “abhorrent and disgusting,” and declaring that he saw no constitutional issues with the bill.

Nonetheless, the altered bill now goes to the full Senate. The amended version would extend to age 50 the civil statute of limitations for future victims. It also would abolish the criminal statute of limitations, enabling future victims to pursue prosecution regardless of age.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Centre Daily Times

BY LORI FALCE
lfalce@centredaily.com

The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is getting a new home for its administration and it is partly due to the sexual abuse scandal enveloping the area.

In a release Thursday, the diocese announced the plans to relocate from offices in Hollidaysburg to the school building of the Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Altoona.

The diocese would lease the school building, which is now being used by the Lily Pond Child Development Center. That lease expires in October.

According to the diocese, both this move and the sale of the bishop’s residence in 2014 were “appropriate given the current financial circumstances of the diocese as it responds to past cases of sexual abuse of minors.”

“In addition to being good stewards of available resources, the proposed sale will also help the diocese to refocus its mission to parishes and parishioners,” the release said.

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ILLINOIS
Patch

By Lorraine Swanson (Patch Staff) – July 1, 2016

Chicago, IL — A priest who unsuccessfully sued two brothers after they accused him of molesting them as children passed away suddenly on June 25.

Rev. Robert A. Stepek reportedly died while cutting grass in the heat. He was in his early 60s. The priest was a former associate pastor of Chicago’s St. Symphorosa Church and St. Christina Church and St. Joseph Church in Homewood. He was also the former pastor at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Burbank.

More recently he held down a civilian job as a community resource officer with the Burbank Police Department.

Stepek vehemently denied accusations that he had molested two brothers, then 9 and 16, at Symphorosa Church where had had serve from 1981 to 1983

The brothers waited until 2006 when they were adults before reporting that they had been sexually abused by Stepak in the 1980s. Stepek responded by filing an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against the brothers while maintaining his innocence.

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GHANA
Ghana Web

Archbishop Emeritus of the Kumasi Arch Diocese Most Reverend Peter Akwasi Sarpong has taken a swipe at persons accusing the clergy especially priests of the Catholic Church of engaging in sexual intercourse indicating that it is not the worse form of sin.

In accordance with the doctrines of the church, ordained priests of the universal church are not supposed to engage in sexual acts as this could amount to flouting their vows of chastity and celibacy.

“Of course it is against their vows and it is inimical to the growth of the church. Obviously, how do you ask such a question, if it’s true would you like your priest to engage in such acts? My dear friends know that this is sinful and the priests who are doing it know that it is sinful it’s not approved by the church”, he revealed.

According to him, stealing money, oppressing people especially the poor and committing murder considered as sins of malice are worse than sexual sin which is regarded as sin of weakness.

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GUAM
Pacific News Center

Written by Janela Carrera

The libel and slander lawsuit was filed this morning at the Superior Court of Guam.

Guam – The four alleged sex abuse victims of Archbishop Anthony Apuron have taken the first step in taking Apuron to court. They have filed a libel and slander lawsuit in the Superior Court of Guam.

Roy Quintanilla, Walter Denton, Roland Sondia and Doris Concepcion, on behalf of her son, Joseph Quinata are the named plaintiffs in the case. Quintanilla, Denton and Sondia say Apuron molested them in the 1970s at the Mt. Carmel Church in Agat. Concepcion accused Apuron of molesting her now deceased son.

The named defendants are Archbishop of Agana, a Corporation Sole–which is essentially the Archdiocese of Agana– and Apuron.

The four plaintiffs are seeking $500,00 each in general damages for a total of $2 million.

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GUAM
KUAM

[with video]

[includes copy of the lawsuit]

Updated: Jul 01, 2016

By Krystal Paco

Walter Denton led a press conference at the Law Library in Hagatna this afternoon and announced that he, Roy Quintanilla, Roland Sondia, and Doris Concepcion have filed a libel and slander lawsuit against Anthony Sablan Apuron, the Archdiocese of Agana and DOE’s 1-50. The case was filed in the Superior Court of Guam. They are being represented by attorney David Lujan.

Walter Denton said they filed the lawsuit because they want the truth to come out to the public and to defend their honor and integrity. Denton said he wants Anthony Apuron and the Archdiocese of Agana and all those involved to take responsibility for their actions.

Denton added since the Archbishop and the Archdiocese have called every single survivor liars and instead of helping them they have avoided them and shunned them just as they did 40 years ago. He adds Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai has not attempted to meet with the victims. They have not reached out to them.

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GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News July 1, 2016

Four people who publicly accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of sexually abusing altar boys in Agat in the 1970s filed a lawsuit against the archbishop Friday, at the Superior Court of Guam.

In the lawsuit, they are accusing the archbishop of libel and slander. The filing took place at 11:43 a.m.

The plaintiffs in the suit are Doris Concepcion, Roy T. Quintanilla, Walter G. Denton and Roland Paul L. Sondia. Their attorney is David Lujan.

The filing was announced Friday, during a press conference at the Guam Law Library near the court.

Slander is a false or malicious claim that may harm someone’s reputation. Libel is a defamatory statement made in the form of print or broadcast.

Quintanilla, Denton and Sondia are former altar boys who said Apuron molested them during sleepovers at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church rectory in Agat in the 1970s. Denton said Apuron raped him.

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RHODE ISLAND
NBC 10

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence said Thursday that a senior priest no longer has permission to serve due to sexual misconduct.

According to a press release from the Diocese, the Reverend B. Samuel Turillo, “is now prohibited from exercising the sacred ministry after the Diocese received a credible accusation regarding alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor that took place approximately 60 years ago.”

The release notes that Turillo’s faculties to serve as a priest were removed in accordance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

“Upon recently receiving the allegation, the Diocese immediately reported the information to the Rhode Island State Police and the Attorney General’s Office,” the release noted. “Simultaneously, Diocesan officials launched an investigation that concluded the allegation was of a credible nature.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com

The prosecution of child sex crimes would change dramatically under a bill poised to go to Gov. Tom Wolf’s desk.

The Senate on Thursday voted 49-0 to approve a bill that amends the statute of limitations — the time limits that govern when victims of sex abuse can bring legal action against perpetrators.

Pennsylvania joined the ranks of more than three dozen states that have overhauled child sex crime laws in wake of child sex abuse scandals, but House Bill 1947 leaves a gaping void for victims.

House Bill 1947 — which passed the House in April by a vote of 180-15 — amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to eliminate or extend statutes of limitation in criminal and civil cases involving child sexual abuse.

Here is a rundown of what the bill would and would not do:

* The bill eliminates the criminal statute of limitations on most child sex crimes.

* The bill would allow an individual to file a civil action against institutions and organizations based on child sexual abuse until that individual reaches the age of 50. (Currently it cuts off at 30).

* The bill eliminates time limits on when victims can file a civil action against certain individual defendants. Those individual defendants include: the perpetrator; any individual who conspired with the perpetrator of child sexual abuse; any individual who knew of child sexual abuse but failed to report the abuse to law enforcement or a child protective services agency.

* The bill eliminates the criminal statute of limitations for a conspiracy or solicitation that facilitates the offenses.

* The bill lowers the standard for actions against governmental defendants from “gross negligence” to “negligence.’

* The bill does not revive time-barred civil actions.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Review

BY CARLEY MOSSBROOK | Thursday, June 30, 2016

The state Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday that would overhaul Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.

After weeks of debate and the removal of a key component of the bill, the Senate passed legislation that would remove the statute of limitations for criminal cases of child sexual abuse and extend the amount of time victims have to bring lawsuits against institutions.

Under current laws, criminal cases must be brought before the victim reaches the age of 50 and lawsuits against institutions must be filed before the victim reaches the age of 30. This bill would give victims until age 50 to bring suit against institutions.

There is no age restriction to file a lawsuit against individuals who perpetrated the abuse.

The bill was originally introduced in the House, but some controversial changes were made earlier this week in the Senate Judiciary Committee that will volley it back to the House for concurrence.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

At least one MI6-run agent was aware of sexual abuse being committed in a notorious Belfast boys’ home, according to one of the agency’s historic intelligence documents.

A classified MI6 note containing the claim about the Kincora abuse scandal was presented in evidence as a senior ranking MI6 officer was questioned at Northern Ireland’s Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry.

But the anonymised deputy director of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), referred to as officer A as he testified via video-link, rejected any suggestion his organisation was aware of the abuse.

He told the inquiry panel that an extensive trawl of MI6’s files could find no other documentary evidence to corroborate the 1989 note.

“We have found nothing that was written at the same time that justifies that assertion or nothing in our subsequent records that backs up that assertion,” he said.

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KANSAS
Baptist News

BOB ALLEN | JUNE 30, 2016

A Southern Baptist church being sued over sexual abuse committed by a former Vacation Bible School volunteer currently behind bars is asking a court to reveal the identities of two underage victims, accusing the girls’ parents and lawyers of using pretrial publicity to malign the congregation’s reputation.

Westside Family Church of Lenexa, Kan., filed a petition in district court June 15 requesting that the teenaged sisters and their parents who sued the church June 9 not be allowed to proceed with the case with their identifies protected by pseudonyms.

Church officials accused the family of “a Pearl Harbor-styled barrage of negative publicity” against the congregation purposely timed to coincide with this year’s Vacation Bible School.

“Ordinarily, defense counsel would stipulate permission to use of an alias in a case involving a minor claiming sexual abuse,” the church claimed in the petition. “Sadly, the minors’ parents and attorneys have chosen a different path” by leaking their complaint to the media before the congregation received official notice that it was being sued.

“While the Defendant admits the sensitivity of the allegations, Plaintiffs tactically decided to ‘draw first blood’ on the issue publicly,” the church’s petition says. “In time, that may ultimately be seen in hindsight to be a bad decision. However, they should not be able to hide behind pseudonyms after systematically and intentionally initiating a campaign specifically designed to damage Defendant’s reputation.”

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RHODE ISLAND
Providence Journal

By Karen Lee Ziner
Journal Staff Writer

Posted Jun. 30, 2016

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence said Friday that a 95-year-old senior priest, the Rev. B. Samuel Turillo, is now prohibited from serving as a priest following “a credible accusation regarding alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor that took place approximately 60 years ago.”

Turillo had 10 assignments in eight cities and towns since he was ordained to the priesthood in 1946, according to a statement the Diocese issued on its website.

Turillo served at: St. Benedict, Warwick 1946-1946; St. Patrick, Providence 1946-1948; Sacred Heart, West Warwick 1948-1953; St. Mary, Cranston 1953-1954; Holy Angels, Barrington 1954-1962; St. Joseph Hospital, Providence 1962-1962; St. Anthony, Woonsocket 1962-1965; St. Ann, Providence 1965-1971; St. Joseph, Hope Valley 1971-1979 and Sacred Heart, West Warwick 1979-1994.

“It should be noted that Fr. Turillo will soon be 96 years old, that he retired from active ministry in June 1994, and is living in a private residence,” the Diocese said.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Christian Post

By Leonardo Blair , Christian Post Reporter

A Christian schoolteacher from England who police believe sexually abused as many as 200 children from poor communities in Malaysia and bragged about his exploits online, was given 22 life sentences after admitting to 71 charges of sex abuse against children aged 6 months to 12 years.

Richard Huckle, 30, the schoolteacher from Ashford, Kent, fancied himself such an expert in abusing minors, he wrote a 60-page how-to manual for other pedophiles to follow that Judge Peter Rook QC, called a “truly evil document” according to the BBC.

“Impoverished kids are definitely much easier to seduce than middle-class Western kids,” Huckle reportedly wrote online, according to the BBC. “I still plan on publishing a guide on this subject sometime.”

“I’d hit the jackpot,” he said on another occasion, “a 3yo girl as loyal to me as my dog and nobody seemed to care.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
Daily Times

By Marc Levy, The Associated Press

POSTED: 06/30/16

HARRISBURG, Pa. >> The Pennsylvania Senate voted unanimously Thursday to lift time limits for some perpetrators of child sexual abuse to be sued by their victims and prosecuted by authorities, amid fresh Roman Catholic Church scandals in Pennsylvania that have inflamed a push for the legislation.

However, the Senate also rejected a provision approved overwhelmingly in April by the House to restore the ability of onetime-child victims to sue for damages if they are now older than the current legal age limit of 30.

That provision has been hotly debated, particularly with prosecutors in Pennsylvania uncovering a long-running scandal in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese and states increasingly providing that window to victims who are now older.

But the provision ran into concerns from senators that it would conflict with Pennsylvania’s constitutional case law, and it was opposed by the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania, which represents for-profit insurers.

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CANADA
The Telegram

Barb Sweet

Published on June 30, 2016

Testimony in the Mount Cashel civil trial ended this morning in Newfoundland Supreme Court with Justice Alphonsus Faour acknowledging the co-operation of opposing lawyers, as well as the John Does and church officials who sat through much of the trial.

“I suppose there’s an element of Stockholm syndrome to be thrown together for this length of time, but it has been difficult for everyone concerned,” Faour said in thanking the lawyers for the “remarkable” way they conducted themselves.

The trial over many of its 31 non-consecutive days has contained disturbing testimony concerning the experiences of four John Does at the Mount Cashel orphanage several years ago, as well as personal details of their lives since then and various expert opinions on child sex abuse and its impacts.

A retired military man who is a John Doe in the case was in the courtroom Thursday when Faour acknowledged that he and fellow John Doe, a retired teacher, attended many days of testimony (long after they were on the witness stands.) Faour also noted one other John Doe had been a spectator on earlier occasions.

“I know for them that it must have been quite difficult to listen to a lot of the testimony,” Faour said.

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RHODE ISLAND
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence

June 30, 2016

The Diocese of Providence today announced that in accordance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the law of the Church and diocesan policy, the Reverend B. Samuel Turillo, a senior priest of the Diocese, is now prohibited from exercising the sacred ministry after the Diocese received a credible accusation regarding alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor that took place approximately 60 years ago.

Father Turillo’s faculties or permission to serve as a priest have been removed in accordance with the Charter. It should be noted that Fr. Turillo will soon be 96 years old, that he retired from active ministry in June 1994 and is living in a private residence.

Upon recently receiving the allegation, the Diocese immediately reported the information to the Rhode Island State Police and the Attorney General’s Office. Simultaneously, diocesan officials launched an investigation that concluded the allegation was of a credible nature.

Father Turillo was ordained to the priesthood in 1946 and had assignments at St. Benedict, Warwick 1946-1946; St. Patrick, Providence 1946-1948; Sacred Heart, West Warwick 1948-1953; St. Mary, Cranston 1953-1954; Holy Angels, Barrington 1954-1962; St. Joseph Hospital, Providence 1962-1962; St. Anthony, Woonsocket 1962-1965; St. Ann, Providence 1965-1971; St. Joseph, Hope Valley 1971-1979 and Sacred Heart, West Warwick 1979-1994.

The Diocese of Providence takes very seriously all allegations of abuse and works closely with law enforcement agencies in accordance with the Charter and diocesan policy when an allegation of abuse is reported. Church law is firm and consistent regardless of the age of the accused priest or the time frame of the alleged incident. The full content of the Charter may be accessed through the diocesan website, www.dioceseofprovidence.org.

The Diocese urges anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse, or with credible knowledge of such abuse, by any member of the church to report the information to the Rhode Island State Police Major Crimes Unit 401-444-1000, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office 401 274-4400 or the diocesan Office of Compliance at 401-941-0760.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Philly.com

JUNE 30, 2016

by Maria Panaritis and Angela Couloumbis, STAFF WRITERS

HARRISBURG – In a victory for the Catholic Church, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday that bars child sex abuse victims from suing their attackers and private institutions for incidents dating back to the 1970s.

In a 49-0 vote, the Republican-led chamber approved a change to the current statute of limitations so that future criminal cases may be brought at any time. But it blocks the filing of civil lawsuits for people abused as children decades ago – a controversial provision that had been approved by the House.

The Senate bill maintained House language permitting victims up to age 50 to bring civil actions against attackers and institutions – up from age 30, as allowed by current law. An amendment backed by Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati and approved two days ago, however, stripped House language that would have made that change retroactive.

Opponents of the measure had said it would harm the Catholic Church by exposing it to liability for actions taken by bishops or priests decades ago, potentially forcing costly payouts that would harm parishes and dioceses.

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PENNSYLVANIA
CBS Philly

June 30, 2016 3:48 PM By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, PA. (CBS) – The Pennsylvania Senate has approved legislation that would give victims of child sex abuse more time to seek justice, but without a provision long sought by advocates.

The Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week removed controversial language from the bill, to the dismay of advocates.

But as the full Senate voted to approve the amended version Thursday, Harrisburg area Democrat Rob Teplitz said the bill will still do a lot of good:

“We can’t provide justice for everyone, but we can provide justice for a significant number of people.”

The bill would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases. In civil cases, the measure would also eliminate the statute of limitations for most individual defendants, and lengthen the time a victim would have to sue an organization.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLIve

By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com

Pennsylvania on Thursday came one step closer to joining the ranks of states that have overhauled child sex crime laws in the wake of stunning child sex abuse scandals.

Three months after a grand jury investigation found systemic sexual abuse of hundreds of children by priests in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, the Senate by a 49-0 vote gave final passage to a bill that broadly amends and toughens the law on future sex crimes against children.

House Bill 1947, widely seen as a compromise bill out of that chamber, garnered wide support from the Senate just weeks after its constitutionality was questioned.

If signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf, House Bill 1947 would eliminate criminal statute of limitations for most child sex crimes. The bill also broadens the time frame that victims have to file civil suits against predators.

The bill, however, dashed the hopes of hundreds if not thousands of victims of past child sex abuse who had look to legislative changes in the law for justice. A retroactive measure in the bill was eliminated this week under an amendment from Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R‑Jefferson County.

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ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune

Rev. Robert A. Stepek, suddenly passed away on June 25, 2016, beloved son of Robert J. and Dorothy C. Stepek; loving brother of Susan (Jerry) Wachowiak and Scott (Netta) Stepek; devoted uncle of Terri (Christopher) La Via, Jeffrey (Nicole) Wachowiak, Scottie, Bobby, and Brianna; proud great-uncle of Lily, Marco, Andrew, and Bailee. Visitation: Wednesday, from 1 to 8 PM. Funeral: Thursday, at 9:15 AM, from Lawn Funeral Home, 7909 State Rd (5500 W) Burbank, IL 60459, to St. Bede the Venerable Church for a 10:00 AM Mass of the Resurrection. Interment: St. Mary Cemetery. Rev. Stepek was a former Associate Pastor at St. Symphorosa Church, St. Christina Church, St. Joseph Church in Homewood, and the former Pastor at St. Albert the Great Church. Funeral Info: 708-636-2320
Published in a Chicago Tribune Media Group Publication from June 28 to June 29, 2016

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ILLINOIS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, July 30, 2016

Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, national president member of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests(312-399-4747, bblaine@SNAPnetwork.org)

Local Catholic officials have kept hidden the passing of Fr. Robert Stepek, a predator priest who sued his victims and who died last week. Shame on Archbishop Blasé Cupich for his hurtful secrecy.

[Chicago Tribune]

Fr. Stepek was permanently removed from active ministry in 2006 when two brothers reported having been sexually assaulted as kids by him. Then-Cardinal Francis George let Fr. Stepek sued the brothers for defamation. The brothers then sued George and Stepek. Inexplicably, Vatican officials insisted that Fr. Stepek’s status be restored, despite the credible accusations against him.

[SNAP]

We believe that local Catholic officials ignored and enabled Fr. Stepek’s crimes and then compounded their callous actions by ignoring and tolerating his hardball legal tactics.

We call on Archbishop Cupich to spread the word of Fr. Stepek’s death through church bulletins, parish websites and pulpit announcements and beg others who saw, suspected or suffered his crimes to come forward.

Once again, Catholic officials are staying silent about a predator. Once again, the feelings of his victims are disregarded while the comfort of church officials are protected. The people Fr. Stepek violated deserve to know that he can no longer hurt anyone.

We hope Fr. Stepek’s passing will bring some comfort to those he assaulted and will prompt others he hurt to finally get help, speak out and start healing.

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

Bill White

The Senate is expected to vote later today on House Bill 1947, stripped of a key provision Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The bill no longer contains any kind of retroactive access to civil courts for child sex abuse victims blocked by the current statute of limitations, removed by senators who claimed it would be unconstitutional despite conflicting testimony from experts. Many of us saw this as a capitulation to powerful lobbyists from the Catholic Church and the insurance industry, which is why I wanted to use today’s post to report which senators went along with this.

In its present form, the bill removes statutes of limitations for criminal prosecution in child sex abuse cases and extends the statute from 30 to 50 for civil suits. It strengthens the provision allowing suits against public entities such as public school by requiring plaintiffs to prove negligence, as opposed to gross negligence. And it removes the statute of limitations for child sex abuse suits against individuals.

As a practical matter, that last change means that 20-plus years from now, when the first of the victims now under 30 reaches 51 and becomes blocked by the new age limit, they still will have access to court action — as long as they sue individuals, not the institutions that may have protected the offenders.

Clearly, the language is designed to defend the Catholic Church and its insurers. It couldn’t be more revealing about the committee’s priorities.

This willingness to eliminate statutes in all cases where the church has no financial exposure — criminal or suits against individuals — puts the lie to the claims that this reluctance to change statutes of limitations is about concern that old cases are too difficult to prove and unfair to defendants. Legislators and lobbyists seem to be fine with killing the statutes, as long as it doesn’t cost the church or the insurance industry money.

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POLAND
Radio Poland

The bishop of Płock, central Poland, has dismissed a parish priest in the village of Szreńsk, over “immoral actions” with a child.

The priest was suspended from his duties, a spokesperson with the Diocesan Curia in Płock, Elżbieta Grzybowska, said.

According to an official statement issued by the curia, the priest himself admitted guilt to the bishop.

“We express deep sorrow over the depraved action and the harm done,” the statement reads.

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UNITED STATES
Times of Israel

Michael J. Salamon

They take advantage of people, especially children and teens, those who are young, or impressionable and easy prey. They also take advantage of adults – yes, they know how to play to adults too.

They are accomplished liars. They know how to draw victims in with a combination of charm and threat. They can be magically captivating. They do not hide; rather they interact openly with their victims and families.

They tend to be fearless and if caught they can be convincing in their denials. If caught on video molesting a child they can just as easily deny that it is they, despite the pictures, as they are to blame their victims. Very few are willing to acknowledge that they have a problem controlling their abusive tendencies, the first and most necessary step to address their problem.

They take advantage of the fact that the organizations they work for provide them with a pool of likely victims. And if someone reports them to their superiors at work, they believe that the desire to protect the school, camp, youth organization, whichever organization they work for, will act as cover for them – for that is the way it usually is.

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FRANCE
FranceTVInfo

Quatre prêtres ont été relevés de leur ministère par le cardinal Philippe Barbarin pour des faits d’abus sexuels, après avis d’un collège d’experts, a indiqué jeudi 30 juin le diocèse de Lyon. “Il s’agit de prêtres mis en cause ou non dans la presse, déjà condamnés ou non”, a commenté une source diocésaine. Cette annonce intervient à la suite d’une affaire d’agressions sexuelles commises sur des scouts lyonnais par un prêtre.

Le père Bernard Preynat, mis en examen en janvier pour des agressions sexuelles sur mineurs de moins de 15 ans et déjà relevé de ses fonctions à l’été 2015, ne fait pas partie de ces quatre prêtres, a ajouté la source diocésaine.

Mesures d’accompagnement pour d’autres prêtres

A la suite des avis émis par le collège d’experts, d’autres prêtres du diocèse ont fait l’objet de mesures d’accompagnement particulières. Il s’agit de prêtres déjà jugés qui vont bénéficier d’un “suivi” du diocèse.

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FRANCE
GlobalPost

Agence France-Presse on Jun 30, 2016

Four priests of the Catholic diocese of Lyon in eastern France have been relieved of their duties for sexual abuse, a diocesan source said Thursday.

A panel of experts recommended the measure, the source added, declining to say whether the clerics had already been named since the diocese’s predator priest scandal came to light in March, rocking France’s Catholic Church.

French judicial authorities are aware of all four dossiers, the source said.

The dismissals come three weeks after Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the archbishop of Lyon, was questioned by police over allegations that he covered up the sexual abuse of boy scouts.

One of France’s most powerful Catholic leaders, Barbarin has been accused of failing to remove a priest, Bernard Preynat, from his diocese when he became aware the man had sexually abused young boys 25 years ago.

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MINNESOTA
Reuters

BY JIM CHRISTIE

A bankrupt Catholic archdiocese in Minnesota is girding for a fight with victims of clergy sex abuse over more than $1 billion in assets held by parishes and other local Church branches that are not part of its Chapter 11 case.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will square off in Bankruptcy Court on July 7 against the consolidation motion by its unsecured creditors.

To read the full story on Westlaw Practitioner Insights, click here: bit.ly/296AC7K

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KANSAS
Daily Journal

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 30, 2016

WICHITA, Kansas — Federal court records show that a Catholic priest charged with stealing nearly $151,000 from two small parishes to fund his gambling has negotiated a diversion agreement.

The agreement filed Wednesday would delay Thomas Leland’s prosecution for 18 months and result in the dismissal of the case if it’s approved and he adheres to its terms. The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/294ULZ7) reports that Leland is accused of taking unauthorized reimbursements, salary advances and overpayments and too much money for conducting church services while he was the parish priest at St. Francis in St. Paul and at St. Ambrose in Erie.

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GUYANE
Ere 1

Un ancien prêtre catholique de la commune de Macouria en Guyane, soupçonné d’agression sexuelle d’un mineur de moins de 15 ans, a été condamné mardi à 36 mois de prison dont 18 mois ferme par le tribunal correctionnel de Cayenne.

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GUYANE
Le Figaro

[A former Catholic priest suspected of sexual assault on a minor under 15 years old was sentenced this morning to 36 months in prison in French Guyana.]

Un ancien prêtre catholique soupçonné d’agression sexuelle sur un mineur de moins de 15 ans a été condamné ce matin à 36 mois de prison dont 18 mois ferme en Guyane française.

Les faits se sont déroulés “entre le 1er septembre 2014 et le 31 décembre 2015” selon le parquet de Cayenne. Henri-Claude Jean-Philippe, prêtre âgé de 67 ans, a également été frappé de l’interdiction de travailler au contact des mineurs pendant dix ans.

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FRANCE
Liberation

[The doctrine of the Church places the clergy above society and its laws. It embodies a “perfect model.” Hence the difficulties in taking the issue of sexual abuse.]

Par Philippe Portier, Historien et politologue.* — 28 juin 2016

La doctrine de l’Eglise place le clergé au-dessus de la société et de ses lois. Il incarne un «modèle de perfection» qui ne souffre pas la moindre remise en cause publique. D’où les difficultés à s’emparer de la question des abus sexuels.

Le scandale de la pédophilie n’a pas laissé l’Eglise inerte. A partir des années 90, après que le rapport Doyle aux Etats-Unis (1985), lui-même prolongé par des procès retentissants comme celui du père Pipala en1993, a révélé l’ampleur des abus sexuels en son sein, sa hiérarchie s’est lancée dans une opération de clarification des comportements. L’épiscopat américain est intervenu tout d’abord, en instituant, dès 1993, une commission d’étude dont les travaux déboucheront en 2002 sur la mise en place de dispositifs de sanction des prêtres pédophiles.

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NEDERLAND
Katholiek Nieusblad

Slachtoffers van seksueel misbruik zouden niet langer gebonden moeten zijn aan de geheimhoudingsplicht die ze soms overeengekomen zijn. Dat adviseert de voormalige Commissie Deetman “met klem” aan de Nederlandse bisschoppen en de oversten van religieuze orden en congregaties.

Laatste monitorrapport

Dinsdag publiceerde de voormalige onderzoekscommissie naar seksueel misbruik in de katholieke Kerk haar laatste monitorrapport. Daarin wordt het hele verloop van het onderzoek, gepubliceerd in 2011, tot de laatste stand van zaken rond de afwikkeling ervan belicht.

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NEDERLAND
CIP

[Victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church should no longer be bound by the confidentiality which they are sometimes agreed, advises Wim Deetman.]

Slachtoffers van seksueel misbruik zouden niet langer gebonden moeten zijn aan de geheimhoudingsplicht die ze soms overeengekomen zijn. Dat adviseert de voormalige Commissie Deetman “met klem” aan de Nederlandse bisschoppen en de oversten van religieuze orden en congregaties, laat het Katholiek Nieuwsblad weten.

Dinsdag publiceerde de voormalige onderzoekscommissie naar seksueel misbruik in de katholieke Kerk haar laatste monitorrapport. Daarin wordt het hele verloop van het onderzoek, gepubliceerd in 2011, tot de laatste stand van zaken rond de afwikkeling ervan belicht. In de verschillende onderzoeken en adviezen is gewezen op “de noodzaak van openbaarheid en transparantie bij de behandeling van klachten”.

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GEORGIA/INDIANA
New York Daily News

BY JADE R. GARDENER
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, June 29, 2016

A disgraced Indiana pastor who was charged with soliciting sex with a minor hanged himself in a Georgia storage unit.

David James Brown, 46, was found dead from a suicide around 12:10 p.m. Monday inside the Attic Self Storage in Marietta, said Cobb County spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce.

The death was ruled a suicide by asphyxiation by hanging, officials said.

Brown, who was a senior pastor at First Christian Church in Jeffersonville, was arrested on June 15 for the depraved act in Kentucky.

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GUAM
Pacific News Center

Written by Janela Carrera

Father Lito Abad will be the new chancellor and Father Jeffrey San Nicolas will be the new vicar general.
Guam – More changes have been implemented in the Archdiocese of Agana. Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai has replaced two key positions in the church, the vicar general and the chancellor.

The vicar general for the archdiocese was Msgr. David C. Quitugua and the chancellor was Father Adrian Cristobal. In a release from the archdiocese, Archbishop Hon announced that he is replacing Msgr. Quitugua with Father Jeffrey San Nicolas, whose official title will be Delegate of the Adminstrator.

Father Adrian Cristobal will be replaced by Father Jose Lito Abad.

The release states, “These appointments were made after Archbishop Hon had spoken personally with all of the clergy on the island and many other members of this local church.

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GUAM
Guam Daily Post

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai today named new appointees to two of the Archdiocese of Agaña’s top leadership roles.

The apostolic administrator named Rev. Father Jeffrey San Nicolas as delegate of the administrator, according to a media release from the Chancery’s office. In this role, San Nicholas will assume responsibilities similar to those of the vicar general and moderator of the Curia. Rev. Father Jose Antonio “Lito” Abad has been appointed chancellor.

San Nicholas replaces Rev. Msgr. David C. Quitugua, formerly serving as vicar general, while Abad replaces Rev. Father Adrian L.F. Cristobal.

According to the release: “These appointments were made after the Apostolic Administrator had spoken personally with all of the Clergy on the island and many other members of this local Church. It was the result of the weekly meetings of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese and must be seen as a collegial effort for the purpose of promoting unity and stability in the local Church.”

The two appointments take effect today.

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GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Jun 30, 2016
By Sabrina Salas Matanane

Fr. Adrian Cristobal has been replaced as Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Agana. According to a media release, Archbishop Savio Hon Ta Fai announced that the new Chancellor is Rev. Father Jose Antonio “Lito” Abad. Additionally Archbishop Hon appointed Rev. Father Jeffrey San Nicolas as Delegate of the Administrator. This means that he will be assuming responsibilities similar to those of the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia.

According to the press release Archbishop Hon made the appointments after speaking personally with all of the local Clergy and many other members of the local church. “It was the result of the weekly meetings of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese and must be seen as a collegial effort for the purpose of promoting unity and stability in the local Church.

According to the Archdiocese of Agana website the following individuals comprise the Presybteral Council:

Msgr. David C. Quitugua, JCD
Fr. Adrian Cristobal
Msgr. Brigido Arroyo
Msgr. David I.A. Quitugua
Very Rev. Joseph English, O.F.M., Cap.
Fr. Jose “Lito” Antonio Abad
Fr. Patrick Castro, O.F.M., Cap.
Fr. Jose Alberto Rodriguez
Fr. Agustin Gumataotao, O.F.M., Cap.
Fr. Jeffrey San Nicolas
Fr. Thomas B. McGrath, S.J.

The appointments of Fr. Jeffrey and Fr. Abad take effect today. They are scheduled to make their public Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity during the Prayer Meeting for Unity on Saturday, July 2nd, at 7:30 p.m. at Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica. All of the Clergy, Consecrated Religious, and Lay Faithful are cordially invited and encouraged to attend, the press release stated.

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GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News June 30, 2016

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, who currently administers the local Catholic Church, announced Thursday two new key leaders of Guam’s archdiocese.

Hon appointed Rev. Father Jeffrey San Nicolas as delegate of the administrator, assuming responsibilities similar to those of the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, a post previously held by Rev. Msgr. David C. Quitugua.

Hon also appointed Rev. Father Jose Antonio “Lito” Abad as chancellor of the Archdiocese of Agana, a post previously held by Rev. Father Adrian L.F. Cristobal.

In a statement Thursday, the Archdiocese of Agana’s Chancery said the appointments were made after the Hon, the apostolic administrator, had spoken personally with all of the clergy in Guam and many other members of the local Church.

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NEW YORK
NBC Montana

(CNN) – Christopher Leonard survived the beating in the sanctuary of the Word of Life Christian Church in upstate New York that killed his brother, Lucas Leonard.

On Tuesday, while testifying against his step-sister Sarah Ferguson, one of eight church members charged in connection with the death, Christopher Leonard admitted he had “inappropriately” touched her children.

His step-sister learned about the touching during a church “counseling session” in October 2015, he testified.

“And you were telling [Ferguson] about that, correct?” defense attorney Rebecca Wittman asked.

“Yes,” Christopher Leonard responded.

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NEW YORK
CNY Homepage

By Tom Coyne | tcoyne@wutr.tv
Published 06/29 2016

UTICA, NY

Bruce Leonard, father of the victims in the Word of Life Church beatings, took the stand against his step daughter Wednesday afternoon. His sons, Lucas and Christopher, were the victims of the beating administered at the church in Chadwicks in October, 2015. Lucas died of his injuries from that beating and Chris was seriously injured.

Bruce Leonard has pleaded guilty to assault in a plea deal worked out in exchange for his testimony. Leonard begins to recall the events of October 11, 2015. He took his family to the church on Oneida Street in Chadwicks. He said that the service began about noon and during the dinner break he and Lucas left the church to take care of a neighbor’s dog. He added that he had to get Pastor Tiffanie Irwin’s permission to leave the church.

Bruce testified that Pastor Tiffanie told him that she wanted his family to stay after the service. Leonard said that he didn’t know that a “counseling session” was about to start and he did not know the subject matter to be covered.

Leonard testified that many people came and went at the counseling session, including Linda and David Morey and Joseph Irwin. They have each been indicted by a Grand Jury in the case. He said that Pastor Tiffanie was directing the session and asking questions of Lucas Leonard. He says that Lucas wasn’t forth coming with information.

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NEW YORK
Observer-Dispatch

By MICAELA PARKERmparker@uticaod.com

UTICA – The teens had admitted their sins and members of the parish were committed to a resolution.

When questioning Lucas and Christopher Leonard in the small sanctuary of the Word of Life Christian Church resulted in admissions of sexual misconduct but no reasonable explanations, discipline was introduced to the session, the father of the teens testified in court Wednesday.

Bruce Leonard, 66, was asked why he took part in the whipping with his wife and step-daughter.

“So they would understand the hurt they had caused,” Bruce Leonard said. “Discipline for punishment.”

Ferguson, 33, is one of nine defendants accused of participating in an October counseling session in the Chadwicks church that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Lucas Leonard and severe injury to his brother Christopher Leonard, 17. She faces charges including second-degree murder and first- and second-degree manslaughter.

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CANADA
CBC News

By David Bartlett, CBC News Posted: Jun 29, 2016

The Kent Centre for the Prevention of Violence wants to minimize the trauma of child victims of sexual assault by creating a place where they can get the help they need under one roof.

Most provinces and territories in Canada already have similar facilities, but there is no such facility in New Brunswick.

“There is a big need to have this kind of centre here,” Angele Richard, the community development coordinator of the group said on Information Morning Moncton on Wednesday.

“The rate of police reported sexual abuse in New Brunswick has exceeded the national average annually for almost 20 years now.”

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call

Bill White

Priorities are important, for people and for politicians.

Most members of the state Senate Judiciary Committee made their priorities clear Tuesday. They concluded that it was more important to protect the financial resources of the Catholic Church and insurance industry than to offer justice to more victims of child sex abuse, to unmask predators to protect future children and to punish institutions that have aided and abetted in child abuse.

They did this by amending House Bill 1947, the child sex-abuse statute of limitations bill, so that it no longer provides court access to abuse victims who are blocked by present law and haven’t reached age 50. Committee members ostensibly did this because they believe it’s unconstitutional. In fact, the amendment contains a strange preamble attempting to justify this view.

But they had ample expert opinion at their disposal to know this issue was far from decided. What they should have done, if they weren’t bowing to the wishes of powerful special interests, was allow the courts to resolve that question.

The bill in its new form still would eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal cases of child sexual abuse and extend the statute for civil cases until the victim reaches age 50, from the present age 30. Those who already are blocked by present law would remain out of luck.

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GUAM
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agana

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, S.D.B., Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Agaña has appointed the following Officials for the Diocesan Curia:

Rev. Father Jeffrey San Nicolas – Delegate of the Administrator (assuming responsibilities similar to those of the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia).

Rev. Father Jose Antonio “Lito” Abad – Chancellor

These appointments were made after the Apostolic Administrator had spoken personally with all of the Clergy on the island and many other members of this local Church. It was the result of the weekly meetings of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese and must be seen as a collegial effort for the purpose of promoting unity and stability in the local Church.

The two appointments take effect today, June 30th, 2016. The two new Officials will make their public Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity during the Prayer Meeting for Unity on Saturday, July 2nd, at 7:30 p.m. at Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica. All of the Clergy, Consecrated Religious, and Lay Faithful are cordially invited and encouraged to attend.

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GUAM
KUAM

Updated: Jun 30, 2016

By Krystal Paco

While he’s been criticized for his lack of action since his appointment to Guam earlier this month, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai is modifying leadership at the Archdiocese of Agana. Guam’s interim archbishop says the changes are steps towards reunifying the local church.

Archbishop Hon was sent from the Vatican while Archbishop Anthony Apuron has been placed on leave.

Less than a month on the job and Guam’s interim archbishop is changing up leadership. Effective today, Archbishop Hon has replaced diocesan curia. In a release from the archdiocese, he announces a new delegate of the administrator, which would assume responsibilities of the vicar general. His pick: Father Jeffrey San Nicolas, who replaces Monsignor David C. Quitugua.

Also taking a new leadership role is Father Jose Antonio “Lito” Abad, who replaces Father Adrian Cristobal as chancellor. Both appointments follow Archbishop Hon’s meetings with all of the island’s clergy and members of the church. The appointments, the release states, “Must be seen as a collegial effort for the purpose of promoting unity and stability in the local church.”

Also in an effort to reunify the church, Archbishop Hon announced earlier this week the creation of four consultative committees, which include the scenario of the archdiocese, ongoing formation, proposal for repositioning of priests, and seminary visitation in addition to a new designated spokesperson, Monsignor Bibi Arroyo and a new support and contact person for alleged victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by a cleric, Father Patrick Castro. Father Patrick is tasked with reaching out and making contact with those who have been allegedly abused in some way.

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NEW YORK
News 12

MALVERNE – Parishioners say they are standing by a priest accused of sexually abusing a minor years ago.

Father Frank Parisi, the former pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Malverne, is accused of sexually abusing the minor at a different parish.

Parisi stepped down from his position at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church last month amid the allegations.

The Suffolk DA’s Office has confirmed that police detectives are investigating the claim.

Supporters say they don’t think that Parisi is capable of such a heinous act.

“I’m sure he will be cleared of the allegations, except that now his name is now ruined,” says Pat McGoldrick, of Malverne.

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UNITED STATES
North Country Public Radio

by Brian Mann (Adirondack Bureau Chief) , in Westport, NY

Jun 30, 2016 — There is a growing effort around the country to make it easier to prosecute or bring civil lawsuits against people who sexually abuse children. Many states have already extended or eliminated the statute of limitations for reporting sex crimes against kids.

But the push to punish pedophiles has met fierce opposition from Roman Catholic organizations, who say they could be unfairly targeted and their institutions could be bankrupted.

How to punish adults who prey on kids?

These proposed laws, don’t just target pedophile priests. Bridie Farrell is Roman Catholic and former top speedskater. She says it was a coach, not a priest, who sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager in Saratoga County. “It happened at his house, in his car, in his hotel room. He knew the power that he had over me,” she said.

Farrell, who lives now in New York City, did what a lot of children do when they’re molested, kept silent for nearly two decades. “It was 18 years later when I was 31 that I came forward and publicly told anyone this story,” she said.

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SCOTLAND
Scotsman

CHRIS MARSHALL

EDUCATION secretary John Swinney has tried to allay fears about the future of Scotland’s child abuse inquiry after a key panel member quit in protest at government interference.

Michael Lamb, a professor of psychology at Cambridge University, resigned from his position on Monday, claiming the inquiry was “doomed”.

But in a letter to survivors of historical abuse, Mr Swinney said he “entirely rejected” allegations of state meddling.

Mr Swinney said: “My primary objective is now to ensure that this situation does not impact on the progress that the inquiry has made so far, and will continue to make over the coming weeks and months. I have, therefore, acted swiftly and decisively to ensure the continuing successful operation of the inquiry and have instructed my officials to begin planning for the appointment of a new panel member to the inquiry.”

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NEW YORK
News 12

[with video]

MALVERNE – The Suffolk district attorney is investigating claims that a Catholic priest sexually abused a minor years ago.

Father Frank Parisi, the former pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Malverne, is accused of sexually abusing a minor years ago at a different parish.

Parisi stepped down from his position at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church last month amid the allegations.

The Suffolk DA’s Office says the Diocese of Rockvile Centre contacted it originally, but some residents say the church should have dealt with the issue many years ago.

Parishioner William Brown, of Malverne, says that the Roman Catholic Church hasn’t been strict enough when it comes to cracking down on abusive priests.

He says in this case, he’s somewhat surprised by the allegations against Parisi, but not completely.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WJAC

BY KODY LEIBOWITZ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29TH 2016

HARRISBURG — Changes to the statute of limitations bill are now facing the state senate after passing through another committee.

But this bill comes with some speculation as to what happens next.

As currently amended, House Bill 1947 would still abolish the criminal statute of limitations prospectively, meaning a future victim of child sex abuse could go after criminal charges. The amendment passed Tuesday morning in a state senate committee.

The bill would also extend the civil statute of limitations to the age of 50 from age 30 for future victims.

Senators voted 9-4 to amend the statute of limitations bill, which took out retroactivity for civil lawsuits due to constitutionality concerns. Advocates and victims of sex abuse continue to say this bill doesn’t do enough and have asked for retroactivity to let the courts decide, while insurance and catholic church lobbyists said the provision would be unconstitutional.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
BBC News

A retired RUC detective has told the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry that when he started looking into events at Kincora Boys Home, the then Chief Constable Sir Jack Hermon told him to leave “no stone unturned”.

Former Detective Chief Superintendent George Caskey was giving evidence at the ongoing hearing in Banbridge.

He led the Kincora Inquiries from 1980-1985.

Six people were imprisoned for sexual abuse as a result of his team’s work.

Joseph Mains, Raymond Semple and William McGrath were jailed for abusing boys at Kincora.

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NORTHERN IRELAND
The Irish News

Michael McHugh, Press Association
29 June, 2016

THERE was no evidence of paedophile or prostitution rings involving members of the establishment at Kincora boys’ home in Northern Ireland, a retired detective has said.

The east Belfast home has long been at the centre of allegations about a group of abusers involving high-profile political and military figures in the 1970s.

There are also claims that security services covered up the abuse in order to use the perpetrators for intelligence purposes.

Retired Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) detective chief superintendent George Caskey said: “There was no paedophile ring or prominent figures involved in abusing boys at Kincora.”

However children were often legitimately moved between homes as part of normal care arrangements and an individual working at another premises may have advised a paedophile convicted of abuse about his targets, the former senior officer told retired judge Sir Anthony Hart’s Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry.

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UNITED STATES
BishopAccountability.org

Compiled by BishopAccountability.org

This page was last updated at 11:00 a.m. on June 29, 2016. Please refresh the page whenever you visit; it will be revised and improved frequently.

Each summer, BishopAccountability.org summarizes the names that have been added to our Database of Accused Bishops, Priests, Nuns, Brothers, and Seminarians in the last year. The list is published as the back page of the program for SNAP’s annual conference.

SNAP leaders are instrumental in helping survivors come forward, and our annual list is intended to acknowledge that valuable work, and also to provide a convenient list of recent additions to the database. The text of the list that we published in the program may be viewed here.

Below we provide a linked version of the list. Click on a name to view the current Database entry for that accused person. This online version of the list has been updated to include persons who have been added to our database after the deadline for submitting copy for the program. Those additional names are marked +.

Most of the persons on this list have been publicly accused for the first time during the past year. A few were accused previously, but only came to our attention recently. Several others have been included after we reexamined their allegations and confirmed that they qualified for inclusion, based on our posting policy.

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CANADA
The Telegram

Barb Sweet
Published on June 29, 2016

Psychologist Peter Badgio told the Mount Cashel civil trial at Newfoundland Supreme Court this morning he doesn’t know enough about a particular Christian Brother to say if he was a sexual sadist.

Lawyer Will Hiscock is cross-examining Badgio, called as a expert witness for the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s, which refutes claims it should be held responsible for physical and sexual abuse of boys during the era late 1940s to early 1960s by certain members of the lay order Christian Brothers at the orphanage.

The church maintains it did not oversee the facility.

Badgio, of Philadelphia, Pa., met four test case John Does in 2010. He said he took their reports of abuse as fact as he was asked to evaluate the impact on their lives, not whether it happened.

The Does’ lawyer Will Hiscock pointed out Ronald J. Lasik had a custom-made strap and challenged Badgio on whether that was a tool of sexual sadism.

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GUAM
Guam Daily Post

Louella Losinio | Post News Staff

The National Association of Social Workers, Guam Chapter, has expressed support for Bill 326-33, the measure authored by Sen. Frank Blas Jr. that would amend current law to remove the statute of limitations in civil cases involving child sex abuse.

Craig Burns, NASW chapter president, said the group acknowledges the courage of each and every victim who comes forward, whether in the immediate aftermath of an assault or after many decades.

“Any measure to remove barriers to victims coming forward is a move in the right direction,” he said in a release sent yesterday.

According to Burns, recent events have brought the issue of child sexual abuse and molestation into the public consciousness. “Although the events being reported occurred almost four decades ago, the issue of child sexual abuse and molestation is something that has no time limits,” Burns said.

“The impact of child abuse cascades throughout one’s lifetime with a combination of economic, social, mental health and health consequences,” he said.

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UNITED KINGDOM
The Tablet

29 June 2016 | by Richard Leonard

When they come to analyse major shifts and changes in society, cultural theorists speak of “fault lines”. They sometimes apply the London Underground’s famous safety warning: “Mind the gap”. Two recent events made me aware of contemporary Catholicism’s major fault lines, and how we need to very carefully mind the gaps.

The first was a gathering for 85 well-educated Catholics aged 18–25. Quickly, conversation settled on one of the many consequences of the clergy sexual abuse crisis: the Church’s lack of credibility in its moral teaching. It appeared none of them would give the Church’s position much weight because the gap between our teaching and practice has been revealed to be just too great.

The case study in this discussion became same-sex marriage. As well as I tried to positively present the Church’s ideas about the nature of marriage – and this was before Pope Francis said the Church should apologise for the way it treated gay people in the past – not only did these young Catholics reject these arguments, it also was clear they just didn’t understand them.

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AUSTRALIA
The Courier

Melissa Cunningham
@MeljCunningham

June 29, 2016

National party candidate and clergy abuse survivor Paul Tatchell says lives will continue to be at risk until a redress scheme for all victims of childhood sexual abuse is implemented.

A recommendation from the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse said national redress for survivors should be fast-tracked by the federal government as a matter of urgency.

Redress for survivors is above party politics, Mr Tatchell said.

“We have a directive from a Royal Commission but we are putting it through a bureaucratic and political process which to me shows contempt for people suffering,” he said.“It’s putting politics before people.”

While Labor has pledged $33 million to establish a national redress scheme, the federal government said a single scheme would take too long to complete. Instead it is pushing for a national framework of consistent principles which would underpin redress schemes run by states and territories. Mr Tatchell said he couldn’t support the Coalition’s stance.

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UNITED STATES
Yated Ne’eman

By Yated – Jun 22, 2016

The Novominsker Rebbe, Rav Yaakov Perlow, issued a call for action in response to the festering scourge of child abuse and molestation. As a result of his seminal address at the recent Torah Umesorah convention, several groundbreaking initiatives have been launched to ensure that our children are safe at all times.

Torah Umesorah is preparing to train hundreds of principals, rabbeim and mechanchos across the country. This training will provide them with tools not only to prevent instances of child abuse and molestation from occurring within their schools, but also to recognize symptoms among students indicating that they may have been molested outside the school setting. (Statistics show that perpetrators are rarely strangers; generally, they are people the child knows and trusts.) The training program is slated to begin this fall.

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UNITED STATES
Frum Follies

An unsigned article in Yated Ne’eman (6/22/16), A Call to Action, claims fantastic things were initiated by the Novominsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, head of the Moetzet (Council of Torah Sages of Agudath Israel of America). The naïve can be forgiven for believing they live in Moshiach times. The article starts:

The Novominsker Rebbe, Rav Yaakov Perlow, issued a call for action in response to the festering scourge of child abuse and molestation. As a result of his seminal address at the recent Torah Umesorah convention, several groundbreaking initiatives have been launched to ensure that our children are safe at all times.

Unfortunately, they leave out most of the words spoken by R. Perlow at Torah Umesorah (5/26/16) and instead imply he has said all sorts of things which he did not .

I transcribed and posted his Torah Umesorah speech where he complained about bloggers on abuse, opposed extending the statute of limitations for child sex abuse, and insisted rabbis should decide whether to report abuse to the police. Most of all, he got all defensive and lashed out at bloggers as liars. He got in a lather about how much rabbonim care. But the real issue is not caring but tachlis, action.

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UNITED STATES
Frum Follies

I am a non-partisan critic of Jewish organizations. I will go after any group that enables child abuse. In my last post I revealed Satmar’s sad history in the case of Yisroel Moshe (Israel) Weingarten. Today I want to talk about Agudath Israel of America. They think of themselves as the voice of torah-true Jewry. Yet they are guilty of collusion with the ongoing epidemic of sexual abuse of children by frum Jews. They can hurl thunderbolts to confront a modern orthodox rabbi who ordains one woman. They can mobilize their masses for rachmonis on Martin Grossman, a vicious Jewish murderer. But suddenly they loose their oomph and speak bikol dmamah dakah when it comes to child molesting (unless of course the offender is a goy).

After being confronted by protesters two years ago at their convention they made noises about their willingness to confront the issue. A year ago, their lay leader, Rabbi Dovid Zweibel, Esq. used their convention to speak with passion about their dawning realization about the problem and their commitment to find a way to respond. This year they unveiled their response. It took the form of high profile speech by the head of their Moetzes, the Novominsker Rebbe (Rabbi Yaakov Perlow). At their annual convention over Thanksgiving weekend, Rabbi Perlow devoted over 12 minutes to the issue. Below are his words, followed by my reactions.

THE NOVOMINSKER REBBE’S SPEECH

Let me mention something else, another painful subject, which has arisen in our tzibbur, and it’s time that we recognize it, even in public (inaudible short Yiddish phrase). And sweep it out from under the carpet.

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UNITED STATES
Frum Follies

[with video]

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry about the latest pronouncements about child sex abuse by Agudath Israel of America’s lead figure, the Novominsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, on Sunday, May 26th at the Annual Convention of Torah Umesorah, the national umbrella organization for ultra orthodox Jewish schools. Below is a full transcript of the videotaped talk with translations in parentheses and my annotations below each section.

One of the problems that we are facing, more today, that we weren’t aware of, and it has to be mentioned, for a number of reasons, is the abuse of young people, b’oifen gufni (physical abuse) and molestation, al d’avoinoseinu harabim (which because of our many sins), have gotten into our tzibur (community).

Rabbi Yaakov Perlow (RYP) is dishonest in claiming they were not aware if the problem for decades. In fact he participated in the cover-up of the sex abuse of Yehuda Kolko among many other cases where molesting teachers were allowed to keep their jobs.

It is convenient for him to claim the problems have “gotten into our community” as if the problem wasn’t festering inside.

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GEORGIA
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An Indiana pastor accused of trying to have sex with a minor died in what officials believe to be a suicide, Cobb County police said.

David James Brown’s body was discovered about noon Monday in a unit at Attic Self Storage near Marietta, Cobb police Sgt. Dana Pierce told the Lexington Herald Leader in Kentucky.

Brown, 46, was the senior pastor of First Christian Church in Jeffersonville, Ind. He was arrested June 15 after he arranged to meet with who he believed to be an underage boy to “engage in sex acts with him,” Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear’s office told the newspaper. Brown planned the meeting over the messaging app Kik and agreed to meet the boy in Frankfort, Ky.

When he arrived, he found that he was actually corresponding with an undercover cyber crime officer, officials said.

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NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
Crux

Associated Press
June 29, 2016

Two New York-area developments illustrate the ongoing fallout from the child sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, with the conviction of a former Paterson, N.J., priest for criminal sexual contact with an adolescent girl and the suspension of a current Long Island pastor over an abuse charge.

The former New Jersey priest was convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact after authorities say he lured a 14-year-old girl to his living quarters and molested her.

A Passaic County jury convicted Jose Lopez of luring Tuesday, but found him not guilty of attempted sexual assault.

Prosecutors say Lopez took the girl into his living quarters at St. Mary’s Assumption Church in Passaic in 2013 and touched her inappropriately.

Lopez has denied that he touched her sexually.

Defense attorney James Porfido says Lopez often hugged and kissed the girl near her mother. He says the interactions were never sexual.

Porfido says he’s shocked by the verdict.

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