ABUSE TRACKER

UNITED KINGDOM
BBC News

A former choirmaster has been jailed for sexually abusing two boys in the 1980s and 1990s.

Richard Lucas, 68, met the victims at All Saints United Church in Longwell Green, South Gloucestershire.

He was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault and sentenced to eight-and-a-half years at Bristol Crown Court.

Police said he had “robbed his victims of their childhoods”.

The Diocese of Bristol said it was “deeply saddened and shocked” by his actions.

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AUSTRALIA
ABC News

By Danny Tran

A former Victorian police officer who was drummed out of the force for trying to bring a notorious paedophile priest to justice is living a meagre existence and struggling to make ends meet, supporters calling for him to be compensated say.

Denis Ryan, 86, lives in a rented flat in Mildura and, despite clocking up about 20 years of service with Victoria Police, is not on a police pension.

“You certainly can’t live lavishly or anything like that,” he said.

To the fury of his friends in the north-west Victorian town, he gets by on an aged pension instead.

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OHIO
WLWT

CINCINNATI —
A St. Xavier High School priest has been fired for inappropriate communication with a student, school officials said.

School administrators said they were made aware of the situation on Feb. 15. Following an investigation, the priest was terminated from the high school on Feb. 23.

No criminal charges have been filed, and WLWT is not naming the priest at this time.

According to a short statement from school officials, the priest was immediately placed on administrative leave and the student’s parents were notified.

“We notified the Springfield Township Police Department and presented them with all information known to us,” school officials said. “The safety of our students remains our highest priority.”

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OHIO
Cincinnati Enquirer

Hannah Sparling and Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer

A St. Xavier High School priest has been removed from the school faculty after he was accused of soliciting a student for sex.

Father John Ferone was, until recently, St. Xavier’s Director of Adult Faith and Ignatian Programming. Officials with the school refused to comment, saying only that Ferone no longer works at St. Xavier.

But Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the priest was accused of soliciting sex from a student via a text message.

Deters would not talk about what the message said specifically, but he said early indications are that it was inadvertently sent to the student.

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UNITED STATES
Teamsters Local 362

The #MeToo movement has taken the world by storm and to say it has been polarizing would be an understatement with some calling it a revolution and others a witch hunt. No matter which end of the spectrum you fall, it is clear that the way we understand feminism is changing and this means navigating new territory for a lot of men.

This isn’t always as easy as it sounds though. With any social change there are different points of view and decades of history behind it. As a man, saying you are a feminist or trying to navigate the new feminist movement can seem daunting. Here are a few ways men can be better #MeToo allies in the workplace and beyond.

1. It’s Complicated

Like many other social issues, feminism is complicated. This is a huge movement with different schools of thought, opinions and voices. You don’t have to become an expert, but it is important to acknowledge that feminism is intersectional and that patriarchy impacts women differently depending on factors such as race, income and location.

2. Ask Questions And Listen

This is one of the most important parts of being an ally to any marginalized group. Don’t be afraid to ask women a lot of questions about their thoughts on feminism and discrimination, but make sure you listen. One of the obstacles women face is not having their voices heard, so take time to listen to what they have to say, whether you agree with that point of view or not.

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PENNSYLVANIA/OREGON
Erie News Now

Mercyhurst University will be removing all honors and tributes to former president Dr. William Garvey from its campuses, its president and chair of the board announced Monday.

Garvey was named by the Erie Catholic Diocese Friday as a former lay teacher and coach credibly accused of sexual abuse.

He spent 43 years at Mercyhurst University, including 25 years as the university’s longest-serving president from 1980 to 2005.

The University intends to remove Garvey’s presidential photograph from the library and remove the name Garvey Park as its first course of action.

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UNITED STATES
Times of Israel

Michael J. Salamon

It is an established socio-psychological principle that the culture a child is reared in has an impact on how they perceive the world. There is evidence that culture impacts play, social engagement and emotional understanding. It stands to reason that childhood experiences may also have an impact on brain development. A recent line of research supports that notion.

A study documented in the journal Neuropsychologia reported that individuals who have a strong belief in religious fundamentalism tend to have brain damage linked deformities. These abnormalities appear to occur in a region of the brain called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). While the initial study was performed on individuals who suffered a documented traumatic brain injury other more recent studies have found similar results in larger samples of people. These studies provide insight into portions of the brain involved in processing emotions, questioning, and cognitive flexibility. If these correlational studies are borne out the link between damage and fundamentalism is a finding with interesting implications.

All people have a belief system. Even atheists and agnostics have strong beliefs. Their beliefs revolve around skepticism of the existence of a higher power and nonexistence of god. Religious fundamentalists, on the other hand, tend to reject progressive thoughts or doubts about what they believe. Somewhat paradoxically the current state of the research indicates that those who question have more intact vmPFC areas than fundamentalists even though they also have beliefs.

There is more that science has revealed about this area of the brain. Brain function researchers have found that the vmPFC, in addition to mediating beliefs, is linked with the processing of ones’ sense of self. People with damage to the vmPFC tend to make bad decisions, they show poor judgement and are often socially detached. The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC), where the vmPFC resides, if damaged, is also linked to violence. Most importantly, this region of the brain is highly integrated with the limbic system, that system of structures in the brain that include the amygdala and hippocampus which are the structures that mediate emotions and memories.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

Cormac McQuinn

The remaining properties promised by religious orders under the redress scheme for victims of abuse should be handed over to the State in advance of the Pope’s visit, members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have said.

It comes after a report by the powerful Dáil committee criticised the Department of Education’s approach to the property transfers, saying there is a “lack of determination” to bringing the process to a conclusion.

The report also said: “After 16 years, the ongoing delay is not acceptable.”

It recommended that the department “urgently concludes the transfer of property from religious organisations”.

PAC chairman Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming said he wants to see the remaining properties transferred “fully signed and sealed before Pope Francis comes to Ireland”.

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GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, heugenio@guampdn.com

Former Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron may have been charged with solicitation in the confessional and child sexual assault as part of his secretive canonical trial, but his penalty seems to match that of being found guilty of solicitation, a canon law expert said.

“For civil legal reasons, I guess they backed off of child sexual abuse and proceeded on solicitation because it gets the same final result but also does not trigger civil liability back in the hundreds of cases in Guam,” said canon law expert Patrick Wall, a former Catholic priest and Benedictine monk who left the ministry in 1998.

Apuron is one of dozens of named defendants in more than 160 Guam clergy sex abuse cases filed against the Archdiocese of Agana.

A Vatican tribunal, comprised of five judges, on March 16 found Apuron guilty of certain accusations and removed him from the position of archbishop and from the local archdiocese

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GUAM
Pacific News Center

By Janela Carrera

Guam – Former Archbishop Anthony Apuron may have a chance at overturning a guilty verdict against him by a Vatican tribunal.

A canon law expert says the potential reversal could result from a process the Vatican refers to as “second instance,” in which the very merits of the case can be re-examined. This contradicts what most believed: that only the procedure of the canonical trial can be appealed.

Even before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reached a judgment in the canonical trial of former Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron, most experts said the penalty or judgment is not appealable and that only the process can be challenged.

It’s what Archbishop Michael Byrnes said, in a previous press conference, that he understood as well.

But PNC spoke with an expert in canon law, Msgr. Frederick Easton, a judicial vicar with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis who was also the former president of the U.S. Canon Law Society. He says Guam has been misinformed. Apuron can file an appeal on the merits of the case. In fact, he says, it’s happened before.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Christian Today

The archbishop of York and four other bishops are facing a police investigation for failing to report allegations of child sexual abuse, according to the Times.

Matthew Ineson, a former priest, says he was raped by Rev Trevor Devamanikkan at the age of 16 in Bradford in the the 1980s.

A memo from June 2013, seen by Christian Today, reveals that John Sentamu received Ineson’s allegation but recommended ‘no action’ be taken. Instead he replied to Ineson offering his prayers ‘at this difficult time’. Devamanikkan went on to live in Witney, Oxfordshire, before eventually being charged with three counts of buggery and three counts of indecent assault last year. However he committed suicide the day before he was due in court in June last year.

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GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, heugenio@guampdn.com April 9, 2018

Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes has made further changes in the Archdiocese of Agana, including naming Father Jeffrey C. San Nicolas as interim administrator of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña, effective noon April 16.

Father Paul A.M. Gofigan, the current rector of the Cathedral-Basilica, has been assigned as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Yigo, effective April 16.

Gofigan will be taking over the Yigo church’s leadership, which was previously assigned to Father Julio Cesar Sanchez Malagon, one of three priests associated with the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, or the Neocatechumenal Way, who were reassigned in January this year.

Byrnes also assigned Father Edwin Bushu as chaplain of the Chaplaincy Team of Guam Memorial Hospital, Guam Regional Medical City, Department of Corrections, and Department of Youth Affairs. The appointment also takes effect on April 16.

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AUSTRALIA
The herald

SAM RIGNEY

THE high-powered legal team of Philip Edward Wilson are seeking to call evidence from two people, including one of Australia’s most influential clerics, to prove the accused Adelaide Archbishop had a tendency to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the authorities.

The landmark hearing into allegations Archbishop Wilson concealed child sexual abuse allegations against Hunter priest Jim Fletcher resumed in Newcastle Local Court on Monday, four months after it began with the revelation that the Adelaide Archbishop had been given a “working diagnosis” of Alzheimer’s disease.

Barrister Stephen Odgers, SC, who represents Archbishop Wilson, the most senior Catholic cleric in the world to be charged with concealing child sex allegations involving another priest, sought an “advanced ruling” from Magistrate Robert Stone to tender the statement of two people, including Senior Catholic priest Monsignor David Cappo, to show he had a tendency to report allegations of child sexual abuse and not conceal them.

Crown prosecutor Gareth Harrison opposed the defence application and said that if Mr Stone allowed it he would seek to call evidence from three people that he said showed the Archbishop had a tendency to protect the church.

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NORTH DAKOTA
Washington Post

Writer MaryAnne Golon April 9

On the Spirit Lake Sioux reservation in North Dakota, victims of recurrent sexual abuse turn to spiritual and traditional healing to overcome their pain. The majority of the sex crimes go unpunished, and tribal council authorities do not provide law enforcement or prosecute the offenders. Photographer Rena Effendi’s haunting portraits and interviews called “Spirit Lake” explore the effects of trauma and the cycle of abuse in a place where poverty, chronic unemployment, addiction, depression and suicide rates are startlingly high. The National Institute of Justice reports that 4 out of 5 Native American women experience violence in their lifetime, and more than half have experienced sexual violence.

Effendi is the $20,000 winner of the 2018 Alexia Foundation professional photography grant to continue her work. The Alexia Foundation, committed to supporting visual storytellers who educate and expose social injustice, has been awarding these grants to top professionals and students for more than 25 years. Each spring at New York’s Syracuse University, a panel of industry professionals considers scores of proposals in the highly competitive contest.

“I feel so very privileged to be offered this opportunity to go back and continue uncovering these important stories buried under layers of stigma. As a woman and photographer from Azerbaijan who came here looking for answers, I am proud to say these women know now that they can trust me.” Effendi told In Sight. “I hope other survivors will be emboldened to step up and break the taboo. I am also happy and proud to be part of the impressive roster of visual contributors who benefit from the incredible support of this foundation.”

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NEW YORK
Buffalo News

By Dan Herbeck | April 9, 2018

A priest who taught students at two Buffalo-area Catholic high schools for more than a decade was suspended from any public ministry in 2014 after he was accused of sexually abusing a minor, The Buffalo News confirmed this week.

The Rev. Michael M. Lewandowski, now 71, was suspended after the allegation was made in May 2014, according to the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, Pa.

The Franciscan priest lived in the Buffalo area and taught at St. Francis High School in Hamburg and at Cardinal O’Hara High School in the Town of Tonawanda at various times from 1976 to 1991, according to directories published by the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. While the complaint made against Lewandowski alleges that the misconduct occurred during the period of time when he was at the two Buffalo area high schools, Buffalo Diocese officials declined to say whether the alleged abuse took place in the Buffalo area.

“While it does appear that Fr. Lewandowski spent all of the 1980s here in WNY, I can not elaborate on any specifics as it relates to whether (or when) accusations were brought to our attention, and where any alleged activity would have occurred,” diocese spokesman George Richert told The Buffalo News in an email.

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ISRAEL
Forward

April 8, 2018 By Aiden Pink

A prominent Israeli rabbi who is also a convicted sex offender was allowed during Passover to drive his car directly into the Western Wall plaza — an honor that is only permitted for the religion’s greatest leaders.

Rabbi Eliezer Berland, accompanied by dancing and praying followers running alongside him, was driven through security checkpoints and directly onto the plaza. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has in the past allowed vehicular access for prominent, elderly rabbis with health difficulties.

Berland, 81, was sentenced to 18 months in jail in 2016 after being convicted of two counts of indecent assault against women and one count of assault for beating up the husband of one of the women he abused. Berland only served five months in jail and six under house arrest because of his age and medical conditions.

Multiple female former students had accused Berland of sexually assaulting or raping them. Berland and his most devoted followers fled the country in 2013 but returned a few years later to accept his plea deal. Leaked audio uncovered by Israel’s Channel 2 revealed Berland seemingly admitting to raping one of his victims.

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SOUTH AFRICA
Sowetan Livel

BY KARABO LEDWABA – 09 April 2018

The alleged victims of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso have warned people not to fall prey to “fake pastors”.

Sheryl Zondi, 22, and twins Anele and Nelisiwe Mxakaza, 22, spoke at the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) dialogue for abused people in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, last week.

The girls told of the alleged abuses they suffered at Omotoso’s home in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal.

They gave testimonies to warn other young people from falling into the same trap as they had.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Reuters

Joseph Ax

(Reuters) – When Bill Cosby’s retrial on sexual assault charges begins on Monday, the man once known as “America’s Dad” will face the same judge and district attorney in the same Pennsylvania courtroom as he did last June when a hung jury failed to reach a verdict.

But the familiar trappings cannot disguise the reality that Cosby’s second trial on charges that he assaulted a former friend in 2004 will have significant differences from his first.

Cosby’s second trial will also play out against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, which last autumn prompted a wave of sexual assault and misconduct accusations against dozens of powerful men in Hollywood, business and politics.

The movement has also stirred a national dialogue about the way society treats people who step forward to tell stories of sexual abuse.

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UTAH
Salt Lake Tribune

By The Associated Press

St. George • A new exhibit unveiled at Dixie State University on Monday showcases clothes that sexual abuse victims were wearing at the time of their assaults to dispel the myth that a person’s clothing justifies or condones acts of violence.

The clothing items featured in the “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit range from denim shorts to pajama pants to a toddler’s size 2 nightgown, which represented the clothes worn by a woman who said she was assaulted by her father as a child, the Spectrum reported.

The clothes are attached to tall, gray panels with a short narrative describing what happened from the victim.

“It’s not about what people wear, who they are, where they were at time, what their identities are, or even about their decisions or decisions they didn’t make — it’s about who caused the harm,” said Florence Bacabac, director of Dixie State’s Women’s Resource Center and an associate professor of English.

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AUSTRALIA
The Guardian

Australian Associated Press
Mon 9 Apr 2018

The Catholic archbishop of Adelaide, Philip Wilson, wants the case against him involving claims he covered up child sex abuse by a priest thrown out of a New South Wales court.

Defence barrister Stephen Odgers SC told Newcastle local court on Monday that a detailed “no case to answer” submission would be made at the end of the prosecution case against Wilson.

Prosecutor Gareth Harrison provisionally closed the crown case against Wilson after nearly two hours of legal argument on Monday, saying more evidence could be called depending on a number of rulings to be handed down by the magistrate Robert Stone.

The trial, which had been adjourned from December, will continue on Tuesday.

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ARGENTINA
Pagina 12

[Throughout the day yesterday the loaded clouds settled on the city with promises of rain. At times, the sky rebelled and spilled some rain, sometimes it was just a drizzle. Those dark clouds, however, did not prevent the first national meeting of the Network of Survivors of Ecclesiastical Sexual Abuse, which took place this Saturday in Paraná and which will continue on Sunday, just days before the trial of priest Justo José Ilarraz, and with the aim of visualizing a problem that is widespread in the world.]

Por Juan Cruz Varela

Durante todo el día de ayer las nubes cargadas se posaron sobre la ciudad con promesas de lluvia. Por momentos, el cielo se rebelaba y derramaba algún chaparrón, de a ratos era solo una llovizna. Esas nubes oscuras, sin embargo, no impidieron el primer encuentro nacional de la Red de Sobrevivientes de Abuso Sexual Eclesiástico, que tuvo lugar este sábado en Paraná y que continuará el domingo, a días del comienzo del juicio contra el sacerdote Justo José Ilarraz, y con el objetivo de visibilizar un problema extendido en el mundo.

Referentes de ocho provincias argentinas, muchos de los cuales se vieron en forma personal por primera vez, echaron a andar una Red de Sobrevivientes de Abuso Sexual Eclesiástico, algo así como la unión de distintas historias que desde hace cuatro años empezaron a conocer por teléfono, a través de las redes sociales o por correo electrónico y que ahora quieren formalizar en una asociación civil. En el colectivo hay sobrevivientes –hoy adultos que fueron víctimas de abuso–, familiares, psicólogos, abogados y también ex sacerdotes, que eligieron Paraná como sede del encuentro fundacional como un modo de brindar un apoyo explícito a las víctimas del cura Ilarraz.

“La idea de empezar a juntarnos surgió hace cuatro años con el objetivo de visibilizar una problemática que casi siempre está oculta, como es el abuso sexual eclesiástico de niños y adolescentes, y a la vez para explicitar que no somos casos aislados y que los abusadores no son manzanas podridas, como quieren hacerle creer a la gente”, cuenta Julieta Añazco, impulsora de la organización y denunciante del cura Héctor Ricardo Giménez en La Plata.

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ROME/CHILE
Cruz

John L. Allen Jr.
EDITOR

News Analysis

ROME – So far, there’s been relatively little uproar outside Chile about a picture surfacing showing Pope Francis shaking hands with the late Brother Mariano Varona, considered a key figure in the burgeoning sexual abuse scandals rocking the Marist order in the country, at the end of Francis’s mid-January visit to the country.

The brief encounter came as the pope was saying goodbye to people who live in the vicinity of the Vatican ambassador’s residence where he’d been staying, and Varano has subsequently died.

The story seemingly had all the elements to become a Kim Daniels Affair 2.0, referring to the fracas that broke out after Francis met the controversial Kentucky county clerk who defied a federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, in a brief greeting along with many other people during his September 2015 trip to the United States.

While details remain contested of how the Davis meeting came about, and how much the pope had been briefed on her background, it seems clear Francis wasn’t aware of how controversial the encounter would be, perhaps especially among his most ardent supporters.

Then as now, the obvious questions are: Did the pope really know who this person was? And, was the meet-and-greet intended to make some sort of statement?

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ARGENTINA
Crux

Inés San Martín
VATICAN CORRESPONDENT

ROSARIO, Argentina – Months after his rocky trip to Chile in mid-January, Pope Francis’s visit to the Latin American country is still grabbing headlines, mostly related to the way he’s handled the country’s clerical sexual abuse scandals. The latest: News broke on Tuesday that while in Chile, he met with a Marist brother who’s charged with covering up abuse cases in the country.

The Chilean website The Clinic published a picture showing Francis meeting the recently deceased Brother Mariano Varona, who passed away on Sunday, and is considered one of the key figures in the coverup of cases of child sexual abuse within the Marist congregation.

A Vatican spokesman told Crux on Tuesday, however, that Varona was part of a large group of people who greeted the pope during his farewell to the country, and was invited only because the Marist residence is located in front of the papal embassy where Francis stayed.

“There was no private meeting with Mariano Varona in Chile, nor any private conversation,” Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told Crux. “As happens always on the last day of a trip, a large number of people are invited for a baciamano during the farewell in the official residence,” Burke said, using the Italian phrase for the act of kissing the pope’s ring, and which informally simply means a greeting.

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VATICAN CITY
Telegraph (UK)

Our Foreign Staff
8 APRIL 2018

The Vatican said on Saturday a monsignor who was a former adviser at its US embassy in Washington has been arrested on suspicion of watching child sex abuse.

A Vatican statement said that an arrest warrant had been issued for Carlo Alberto Capella, which was carried out by the Vatican Gendarmerie.

“The accused is being detained in a cell in the barracks of the Gendarmerie Corps, available to the judicial authorities,” the statement said.

The arrest warrant was issued by the investigating magistrate of the Vatican City State Tribunal. Msgr Capella, who was in office until last year, was recalled from Washington last September by the Vatican.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service – Bolletino

Testo in lingua italiana

Questa mattina, su proposta del Promotore di Giustizia, il Giudice Istruttore del Tribunale dello Stato della Città del Vaticano ha emesso un mandato di cattura a carico di Mons. Carlo Alberto Capella. Il provvedimento è stato eseguito dalla Gendarmeria Vaticana.

L’imputato è detenuto in una cella della caserma del Corpo della Gendarmeria, a disposizione dell’autorità giudiziaria. L’arresto giunge al termine di un’indagine del Promotore di Giustizia.

Il Giudice Istruttore ha ordinato il provvedimento sulla base dell’articolo 10, commi 3 e 5, della legge VIII del 2013.

[00558-IT.01] [Testo originale: Italiano]

Traduzione in lingua inglese

This morning, at the request of the Promoter of Justice, the investigating Magistrate of the Vatican City State Tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Msgr. Carlo Alberto Capella. The provision was carried out by the Vatican Gendarmerie.

The accused is being detained in a cell in the barracks of the Gendarmerie Corps, available to the judicial authorities. The arrest comes at the end of an investigation by the Promoter of Justice.

The investigating Magistrate ordered the provision on the basis of Article 10, paragraphs 3 and 5, of Law VIII of 2013.

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NEW YORK
Independent Recorder

By Alexander John

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) – “I just tried to be, you know, someone who was good and attended Mass and went to confession.”

It was after that confession decades ago that an 11-year-old altar boy in Lewiston says he was abused by a Diocese of Buffalo priest.

“I had asked to have a confession, and after the confession he sexually abused me,” said the man, who was identified Thursday as “John Doe” at a news conference in Buffalo, where he spoke by telephone to reporters.

The church was St. Peter in Lewiston. The priest: Father Joseph Rappl. That 11-year-old altar boy is 48 now. Even decades later, he is too ashamed to give his name.

“It’s very difficult to talk about,” he said. “I felt embarrassed. I felt ashamed. I didn’t know how people would respond. You know, it took this long for me to have the courage to come forward and speak about this.”

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NEW YORK
Post-Journal

KATRINA FULLER
County Reporter
kfuller@post-journal.com

The Child Victims Act has not passed this year — but the question remains, what happens next?

The bill was included inside a New York State Assembly budget proposal this year, but was not included in the final spending plan.

Currently, victims of child sex abuse in New York state can only seek civil penalties against their abusers until the age of 18. The Child Victims Act, which aims to extend that age to 50, would also open a “look-back” period of a year for those who were abused at any time. Despite originally being included with the state budget this year, it was removed before the budget passed late last week.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, bringing awareness to a topic that is usually hidden in the shadows.

However, statistics on child sexual abuse are staggering — the numbers show that one in 10 children will be sexually abused in the county before the age of 18. Ninety percent of the victims will know their perpetrator and 30-40 percent will be related.

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SCOTLAND
The Gusrdian

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the disgraced former head of the Roman Catholic church in Scotland who died last month, asked in his will for forgiveness from those he offended.

Mourners at his funeral were told by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, who led the service, that O’Brien wrote in his last will and testament, “I ask for forgiveness for all I have offended in this life”.

O’Brien died in hospital in Newcastle following a fall which caused a head injury and a broken collar bone. He received the last rites on his 80th birthday.

He was forced to resign as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh in February 2013 after serious allegations of sexual misconduct emerged following an investigation by the Observer.

Three priests and a former priest accused him of improper sexual conduct in relation to a series of incidents in the 1980s.

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VATICANO
Settegiorni

Vaticano ecco perché la Santa Sede ha ordinato l’arresto

Rischia fino a 10 anni di carcere monsignor Carlo Capella. Ecco i motivi del suo arresto. La Santa Sede ha ordinato il provvedimento sulla base dell’articolo 10, commi 3 e 5, della legge VIII del 2013 che stabilisce, al comma 3, che chiunque, con qualsiasi mezzo, distribuisce, divulga, trasmette, importa, esporta, offre, vende o detiene materiale pedopornografico, o distribuisce, divulga notizie o informazioni finalizzate all’adescamento o allo sfruttamento sessuale di minori, è punito con la reclusione da uno a cinque anni e con la multa da euro duemilacinquecento a euro cinquantamila. E al comma cinque che questa pena è aumentata “ove il materiale sia di ingente quantità”. L’imputato è detenuto in una cella della caserma del Corpo della Gendarmeria, a disposizione dell’autorità giudiziaria.

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VATICAN CITY/CANADA
Hamilton Spectator

Windsor police issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for Monsignor Carlo Capella last September

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican on Saturday arrested a diplomat recalled from Washington last year amid investigations in Canada, the United States and the Vatican for possession of child pornography.

A Vatican statement said that Monsignor Carlo Capella was being held in gendarmerie barracks inside the Vatican, and that his arrest follows a Vatican investigation.

Police in Windsor, Ontario, said Capella allegedly uploaded child porn to a social networking site while visiting a place of worship from over the 2016 Christmas holiday. In the statement, Windsor police accused Capella of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography.

Windsor police issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for Capella last September. They say they were alerted by the RCMP in February 2017 and launched an investigation, eventually getting judicial permission to access relevant internet records.

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VATICAN CITY
South China Morning Post

The Vatican said its police had arrested a monsignor who worked as a diplomat at its embassy in Washington and is suspected of possessing child pornography in the United States and Canada.

A statement identified the accused as Carlo Alberto Capella and said he was arrested earlier on Saturday in the Vatican after a warrant was issued by the Holy See’s chief magistrate at the end of an investigation.

The Vatican statement said Capella, who was recalled from the Vatican embassy in Washington last August, was arrested according to articles of a 2013 law signed by Pope Francis. The articles cited by the statement related to child pornography.

If indicted, the monsignor will have to stand trial in the Vatican and faces up to 12 years in jail.

The scandal is the latest blow to the Catholic Church as it struggles to overcome repeated sex abuse cases among its clergy.

Francis has declared zero tolerance over abuse scandals that have beset the Church for decades, but critics say he has not done enough, particularly to hold bishops responsible for mishandling or covering up abuse.

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VATICAN CITY
South China Morning Post

The Vatican said its police had arrested a monsignor who worked as a diplomat at its embassy in Washington and is suspected of possessing child pornography in the United States and Canada.

A statement identified the accused as Carlo Alberto Capella and said he was arrested earlier on Saturday in the Vatican after a warrant was issued by the Holy See’s chief magistrate at the end of an investigation.

The Vatican statement said Capella, who was recalled from the Vatican embassy in Washington last August, was arrested according to articles of a 2013 law signed by Pope Francis. The articles cited by the statement related to child pornography.

If indicted, the monsignor will have to stand trial in the Vatican and faces up to 12 years in jail.

The scandal is the latest blow to the Catholic Church as it struggles to overcome repeated sex abuse cases among its clergy.

Francis has declared zero tolerance over abuse scandals that have beset the Church for decades, but critics say he has not done enough, particularly to hold bishops responsible for mishandling or covering up abuse.

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VATICAN CITY
New York Daily News

BY LARRY MCSHANE

A former top Vatican diplomat was jailed Saturday for his alleged Christmas season downloads of child pornography while visiting a Canadian church, officials said.

Msgr. Carlo Capella’s arrest came eight months after his recall to the Vatican from a diplomatic post in Washington.

He was put inside a cell at the barracks of the Vatican police force, according to a Vatican press release.

Police in Windsor, Ontario, accused Capella of accessing the repugnant images from a social networking site during his holiday visit to an unidentified local church.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported the incidents occurred between Dec. 24 and 27, 2016. Capella was also cited for distributing the downloaded pornography, officials said.

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LOUISIANA
USA Today

Arne Sorenson, Opinion contributor

In the early morning hours in one of our hotels in New Orleans last March, a safety and security associate at the hotel noticed a 12-year-old boy in the company of two men buying snacks. The associate overheard one man say to the other, “I may take this one home.” Trained to notice signs of human trafficking, the associate thought the situation didn’t look right to her, and the overheard statement was an alarm bell. Following her training, she alerted her supervisor, and they called the police.

When the police arrived and questioned the men and the little boy, they confirmed our associate’s suspicions. Things were definitely not right. The young boy had been missing for three days. Thanks to the quick actions of the associate, this story has a good ending.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Last year, over 40 million people worldwide were trapped in some form of slavery, according to the International Labor Organization. This is a staggering number, equal to the entire state of California. Most of them are women and children. They can end up as forced laborers, victims of sex trafficking, or worse.

At $150 billion a year, human trafficking is one of the largest global criminal enterprises.

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NEW YORK/OREGON
New York Times

By EMILY FLITTER

Over 15 years, four women in Lake Oswego, Ore., a wealthy Portland suburb, sought police protection against the same man, court filings show.

“He threatened to burn down my house with me in it,” one woman wrote in her application for a restraining order. “I don’t know what he’s going to do next,” a second wrote. “He choked me so hard it left a mark on my throat,” wrote another. “He is scaring my children and me,” a fourth woman said.

Yet the man, Douglas E. Greenberg, remains one of Morgan Stanley’s top financial advisers — and a celebrated member of the wealth management industry.

For years, Morgan Stanley executives knew about his alleged conduct, according to seven former Morgan Stanley employees.

Morgan Stanley received a federal subpoena related to one abuse allegation, according to a lawyer for one of the women. In another instance, a Morgan Stanley manager alerted his superior when Mr. Greenberg was charged with violating a restraining order, according to three former employees. Another manager at the firm liked and replied to a Facebook post by one of Mr. Greenberg’s ex-wives in which she described his abuse. On yet another occasion, an official from the bank’s New York headquarters flew to Portland to investigate, two former employees said.

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NEW YORK
New York Times

By EMILY FLITTER

Morgan Stanley said Tuesday that it had fired a star financial adviser who has been accused by multiple former wives and girlfriends of physical abuse and stalking.

The New York Times reported last week that Morgan Stanley executives for years had known about the allegations against the financial adviser, Douglas E. Greenberg. The Wall Street firm placed Mr. Greenberg, who worked in Portland, Ore., on administrative leave last week after being contacted by The Times.

In a statement on Tuesday, a Morgan Stanley spokeswoman said the bank needed to “do better” at handling such employee misconduct issues.

“We believe that our employees should behave in a manner consistent with our firm’s values and the trust our clients place in us, both of which include treating women, and indeed everyone, with dignity and respect,” the spokeswoman, Christy Jockle, said. “We have undertaken steps in recent years to ensure that issues such as this are properly escalated. However, in light of current events we must and will do better.”

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SOUTH AFRICA
Times LIVE

“Forgive us for our sins… Our sins… And wash us with the blood of Jesus Christ‚” he would say.

Three of the pastor’s victims shared their torment and pain at the hands of the pastor at a dialogue hosted by the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural‚ Religious and Linguistic (CRL) Communities on Thursday.

The group was holding a discussion with survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of religious leaders and traditional healers. The victims told their stories in the hope that others who were abused in the same way would seek help.

They described living as if under a spell‚ afraid that they would die if they went against the pastor’s wishes.

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SOUTH AFRICA
Eyewitness News

Katleho Sekhotho

JOHANNESBURG – Several victims of sexual abuse allegedly at the hands of religious leaders have given statements at the CRL Commission in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Three women have given harrowing accounts of how Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso allegedly abused them while they lived with him in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal almost eight years ago.

The commission has been holding a dialogue which aims to launch a support structure for young people who have been sexually abused by religious and traditional leaders.

There have been heartbreaking scenes at the CRL Commission where three young women have told their stories of abuse, allegedly perpetrated by Omotoso when they were just 14-years-old.

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ALASKA
News-Miner

FAIRBANKS — Bishop Chad Zielinski, the Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska, will offer a Mass of Healing at noon Thursday for the victims of any kind of child abuse. Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 1300 Peger Road. Everyone is invited to attend. There will be an opportunity for private prayer, fellowship and a light lunch after the Mass.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has encouraged every diocese in the country to offer a Mass of Healing in April for victims of child abuse. In 1983, President Reagan proclaimed the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

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GUAM
KUAM

By Krystal Paco

He’s the leader of Guam’s faithful. Archbishop Michael Byrnes was appointed to the Archdiocese of Agana two years ago. At the time there were only a handful of clergy sexual abuse lawsuits. Though the count is now upwards of 160-lawsuits, he’s worked tirelessly to prevent future cases. And his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

He’s the recipient of this year’s Visionary Voice Award. Earlier this week, Archbishop Byrnes accepted the award during a proclamation signing to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center award recognizes those around the country who have committed to ending sexual violence. Why was Archbishop Byrnes nominated?

Clinical Psychologist and past Visionary Voice Award winner, Dr. Juan Rapadas, explained, saying, “With the aim to ensure transparency and accountability 0237 while addressing the issue of clergy sexual abuse on Guam, Archbishop Byrnes has facilitated review of and updates to the archdiocese policies on protecting our young people. He also initiated training of church workers and volunteers and has revived an independent review board on the investigation on alleged clergy abuse.”

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ARGENTINA
The Tribune

BY LUIS ANDRES HENAO
Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Argentina’s Football Association said Wednesday that it will closely monitor boarding houses where youth players live following a sex abuse scandal involving minors at two of the country’s most popular and powerful clubs.

River Plate said earlier this week that it will collaborate with authorities after a local NGO reported minors were allegedly abused in the club’s youth divisions from 2004-11. The abuse accusations come just days after police arrested a referee for his suspected involvement in a child prostitution ring with players from the Independiente youth club.

“We want this to be investigated,” said Dante Majori, the president of Argentine Football Association’s youth and children’s committee.

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ARGENTINA
ADN

Diario El País 07/04/2018

Los curas bajo el mandato del Arzobispado de Paraná, en la provincia argentina de Entre Ríos, deberán cumplir un protocolo de buena conducta elaborado por las autoridades eclesiásticas para prevenir abusos sexuales.

La normativa es una solución de emergencia ante la sucesión de hechos de pedofilia grave en esa arquidiócesis del interior del país, donde se agrupa casi medio millón de fieles.

Dentro de las prohibiciones se expresa que no pueden tener contacto físico con niños, tienen prohibido compartir con ellos habitaciones de hotel o cualquier otro sitio y cuando escuchen sus confesiones tendrán que dejar la puerta de la sacristía abierta. Si deben viajar en auto con un menor, el sacerdote procurará la presencia de otro adulto.

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ARGENTINA
Telesur

The main objective of the new legislation is to “take care of the children and not fall back into the ways of the past.”

Priests in Argentina are now banned from touching children under new guidelines intended to help curb pedophilia in the Catholic church, but relatives of survivors say the move doesn’t go far enough.

New ecclesiastical legislation from Archbishop of Parana Juan Alberto Puiggari, in the province of Entre Rios, rules that priests must refrain from all physical contact; must leave the sacristy door open while hearing confessions; must be accompanied by another adult during road trips with minors, and are prohibited from sharing a hotel room with children.

Additionally, priests will have to relinquish all pornographic material, cease displaying any such materia; and abandon any topics bordering on inappropriate gifts, “sexual advances, comments, or jokes.”

Physical or humiliating punishments are also prohibited, while hugs must be brief and in public. Any secret or overtly sexual conduct with minors is also prohibited. These rules are extended to all members of the clergy, Catholics and lay adults occupying space on archdiocese property.

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PENNSYLVANIA
The Bradford Era

By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER Era Associate Editor marcie@bradfordera.com

Michael Amy, Salvatore Luzzi, Samuel Slocum, Joseph Jerge, Giles Nealen, WIlliam Presley, Stephen Jeselnick, David Poulson — these natives of, or former leaders of congregations, in the region are members of the list released Friday by the Erie Diocese of priests with “credible accusations” against them of abusive conduct.

Bishop Lawrence Persico released the list of 34 priests — 20 of whom are deceased — and 17 lay men and women, two of whom are deceased.

He expressed his sorrow for and apologies to the victims.

“I have met with victims and listened to the pain they and their loved ones experienced. It is appalling to learn what they went through,” Persico said. “Abuse is traumatic enough — but it’s earth-shattering when it’s perpetrated by someone who is in a position of trust. I have a profound personal respect for survivors of abuse.”

A six-year investigation by the diocese, which ended when the state attorney general’s office subpoenaed records in 2016, found abuse claims dating back to 1944, Persico said.

“I know people stand firmly on both sides of whether or not releasing the names of these individuals is the right decision,” Persico said. “Some will say that it has taken far too long to publish these names. Others think we shouldn’t do it at all. They say we are not showing mercy.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Teresa Bonner tbonner@pennlive.com

The bishop of The Diocese of Harrisburg is addressing reports of a grand jury investigation into possible child sexual abuse by clergy through a statement being read by priests at masses in the diocese this weekend.

In the statement, Bishop Ronald W. Gainer says that news media are speculating on when the results of the investigation will be revealed. He said protecting the secrecy of the grand jury is paramount, and assured parishioners that as soon as he is able to make any information public, he will do so.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, who testified before the grand jury, and other sources say the investigation of six diocese across Pennsylvania is nearing its end. Harrisburg is one of the diocese under investigation.

Another is the Diocese of Erie, whose bishop on Friday announced it was updating its policy on the protection of children and making public a list of 51 clergy and lay people against whom there are credible allegations of misconduct. That misconduct, he said, ranged from use of child pornography to sexual assault.

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VATICAN CITY
Axios

Haley Britzky

The Vatican arrested a former U.S. embassy diplomat on Saturday, after he was recalled from the U.S. last year following the State Department saying “he may have violated child pornography laws,” Reuters reports.

The details: The Vatican didn’t specify the charges Monsignor Carlo Alberto Capella was arrested on, but this adds to numerous of sex abuse scandals from the Catholic Church. If Capella is indicted, he will stand trial in the Vatican, per Reuters. When the State Department notified the Holy See of the possible violation last year, the Vatican “refused” to allow him to be prosecuted in the U.S. by waving diplomatic immunity.

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VATICAN CITY
HuffPost

By Mary Papenfuss

Vatican police have arrested a priest on suspicions of possessing child pornography, according to Catholic church officials. The priest had worked as a diplomat in the United States before being recalled last year by the Holy See.

If charges against Italian Monsignor Carlo Alberto Capella go to trial, it would be the first time a Vatican City courtroom has addressed a child pornography case.

The arrest came amid investigations in both the United States and Canada, in addition to the Vatican. A 2013 Vatican law penalizes anyone who “distributes, disseminates, transmits, imports, exports, offers or sells child pornography.” If convicted, Capella could face up to 12 years in prison, according to Reuters.

Capella was being held in a cell in the gendarmerie barracks in the Vatican on Saturday, according to a statement from the Holy See press office.

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MICHIGAN
WSGW

By John Hall

The Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office is responding to what it calls verbal attacks against reported victims in the on-going investigation of alleged sexual assaults possibly involving priests from the Saginaw Catholic Diocese.

County Prosecutor John McColgan calls those attacks unfounded.

Defense Attorney Allan Crawford who represents Reverend Robert DeLand who’s now facing additional charges called the investigation a witch
hunt.

But McColgan explained those charges are based in part on audio/visual police recordings.

McColgan vowed that any attempts to discourage other victims from coming forward by letting them know they too will be publicly attacked will also be addressed.

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NEW YORK
Union-Sun and Journal

By Rick Pfeiffer and Philip Gambini rick.pfeiffer@lockportjournal.com

By the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo’s own admission, the parish of Sacred Heart in Niagara Falls was a troubled place in the the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The parish was home to a pair or priests who the diocese now admits were subjects of “credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors.”

In the case of Father Michael R. Freeman, at least one of his victims has come forward. Paul Barr has publicly spoken out about his encounter with Freeman in the parish rectory in 1980.

While Barr tried to speak out about his abuse at the time it occurred, confronted by a mother who blamed him and not the priest, he simply kept what had happened a secret.

“I let it go. I didn’t tell anybody about,” Barr said.

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee

ROME — Vatican officials have arrested an Italian monsignor who was recalled from service at the apostolic nunciature in Washington in August 2017 under suspicion of possessing or distributing child pornography.

In a brief note April 7, the Vatican press office said the city-state’s prosecutor had issued an arrest warrant that morning for Msgr. Carlo Capella, who was subsequently detained by the Vatican Gendarmerie.

The note said Capella is being held under the authority of a set of 2013 Vatican criminal norms that specify that those who possess or distribute child pornography be subject to up to five years imprisonment and 50,000 Euro in fines.

The press office said Capella is being held under an article in the norms that state the penalty for the offense can be increased “if a considerable quantity of pornographic material is involved.”

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VATICAN CITY
WTOV

by ASSOCIATED PRESS

VATICAN CITY (AP) —
The Vatican on Saturday arrested a diplomat recalled from Washington last year amid investigations in the United States, Canada and the Vatican for possession of child pornography.

A Vatican statement said that Monsignor Carlo Capella was being held in gendarmerie barracks inside the Vatican, and that his arrest follows a Vatican investigation.

Police in Windsor, Ontario, said Capella allegedly uploaded child porn from a social networking site while visiting a place of worship from over the 2016 Christmas holiday. In the statement, Windsor police accused Capella of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography.

The Vatican recalled Capella, the No. 4 in its Washington embassy, after the U.S. State Department notified it on Aug. 21 of a “possible violation of laws relating to child pornography images” by one of its diplomats in Washington.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Catholics4Change

APRIL 7, 2018 ~ SUSAN MATTHEWS

It’s confusing and sickening that the horrific abuse and coverup revealed in previous Grand Jury reports hasn’t been enough to cripple the lobbying efforts of the insurance industry and Catholic Church. Pennsylvania laws are not where they need to be in order to protect children and offer justice to victims.

How many more graphic details of child rape and molestation will it take? How many shredded memos and clandestine clergy transfers? I guess we need a hashtag, t-shirts and a celebrity. #KidsToo

Many victims and advocates hope the tipping point will be a Grand Jury Report to be issued later this Spring.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican News

On Saturday morning at the request of the Vatican Promoter of Justice, the investigating Magistrate of the Vatican City State Tribunal, an arrest warrant was issued for Msgr Carlo Alberto Capella.

According to a statement from the Vatican Press Office, the former Vatican Diplomat is now being held in a cell in the barracks of the Gendarmerie in the Vatican.

This arrest comes at the end of an investigation on the part of the Vatican’s Promoter of Justice. The investigation in the Vatican was opened in the fall of 2017 after Canadian police accused Msgr Capella of possession and distribution of child pornography allegedly downloaded while he was in Canada. At the time, the accused was a functionary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, DC.

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VATICAN CITY
DW

Monsignor Carlo Capella once worked as a diplomat at the Vatican’s embassy in Washington. He was recalled last year after the US State Department said he may have violated child pornography laws.

Vatican police said Carlo Alberto Capella had been arrested on Saturday but gave no details of the specific accusations against him.

Capella is being held in a gendarmerie barracks inside the Vatican. His arrest comes after an eight-month investigation by the Holy See, which was first informed of a potential problem by the US State Department last year.

Capella was arrested Saturday after a warrant was issued by the Holy See’s chief magistrate.

If indicted, he will have to stand trial in the Vatican and faces up to 12 years in jail.

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VATICAN CITY
U.S. News

BY PHILIP PULLELLA

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican said on Saturday its police had arrested a monsignor who worked as a diplomat at its embassy in Washington and is suspected of possessing child pornography in the United States and Canada.

A statement identified the accused as Msgr. Carlo Alberto Capella and said he was arrested earlier on Saturday in the Vatican after a warrant was issued by the Holy See’s chief magistrate at the end of an investigation.

The Vatican statement said Capella, who was recalled from the Vatican embassy in Washington last August, was arrested according to articles of a 2013 law signed by Pope Francis. The articles cited by the statement related to child pornography.

If indicted, the monsignor will have to stand trial in the Vatican and faces up to 12 years in jail.

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MICHIGAN
Michigan Radio

By MICHIGAN RADIO NEWSROOM & CATHERINE SHAFFER

A priest in the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw has been arrested for a second time on sexual assault charges.

Father Robert Deland was arrested for the first time on Feb. 25, and charged with sexual assault of two victims, a 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy.

Those charges included second degree criminal sexual conduct and gross indecency.

Deland was released with a GPS tether device, and was arrested again on April 5 on four additional charges.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Post-Journal

WARREN, Pa. — A former City of Warren Catholic priest is among those named by the Erie Diocese on Friday who are no longer allowed to engage in public ministry.

The diocese listed 51 priests and other employees and volunteers — living and dead — who had been “credibly accused of actions that, in the diocese’s judgment, disqualify that person from working with children,” according to the Friday release, with another three who are currently under investigation by law enforcement.

Fr. Salvatore P. Luzzi, who served as priest at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Warren from 1979 through 1995, is among those named.

Luzzi is currently alive, though his actions to be named by the diocese was not made public.

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NEW YORK
WKBW

Charlie Specht

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) – – Following Buffalo’s lead, the Diocese of Erie, Pa., has released a list of priests and others who since 1944 have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

Erie’s list, though, appears to be a much more comprehensive accounting of decades of child sexual abuse in the diocese, because unlike Buffalo’s list, it includes:

* Not only priests, but also laypeople — many of them former Catholic school employees — who have been accused of abuse.

* Locations or last known locations of those accused and basic details of whether the priests were “laicized,” defrocked or forbidden to function as priests.

* Priests who belong to religious orders but who operated in the diocese.

The list also takes the extraordinary step of citing a former bishop — the late Albert Wilson — for failing to stop abuse that was “credibly reported to him.”

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ARIZONA
AZFamily

By Laura Lollman, Content Producer

SEDONA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) –
Classifieds website Backpage.com has been seized and shut down by the FBI.

The FBI confirmed Friday that agents also raided the Sedona home of Michael Lacey, the founder of Backpage.com.

Backpage.com has been under investigation for years for claims that the site facilitates sex trafficking on their adult ads page.

The site allows users to post ads for ‘escorts’ and investigators say many of the ads are actually for underage girls.

The FBI seized the website because it was allegedly being used to facilitate crime. The FBI has done this before with other sex trafficking websites and online pharmacies.

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MASSACHUSETTS
Daily Hampshire Gazette

By BERA DUNAU
@BeraDunau

Saturday, April 07, 2018

SOUTH HADLEY — In a move inspired by an Oscar-winning film, a Manhattan woman has paid for messages on three billboards — including one in Chicopee off the Massachusetts Turnpike — to draw attention to a South Hadley man she claims sexually abused her while she was a student at a boarding school years ago in New York.

On the billboards, Katherine “Kat” Sullivan, 38, a pediatric nurse, also calls for changes in New York state’s child sexual abuse laws.

As a condition of her contract with the billboard company, the digital messages do not name or depict the man, and his name is not mentioned on the website it directs people to visit.

In an interview, however, Sullivan identified the man as Scott Sargent, who taught at the all-girls Emma Willard School in Troy, New York, while she was a student there in the late 1990s. Until recently, Sargent served on the South Hadley Historical Commission.

Sargent also is named in a 127-page report commissioned by the school in 2017, following an investigation by the Boston Globe of sexual abuse at Emma Willard and other preparatory schools. The report states that Sargent was asked to leave the school due to an “inappropriate” relationship he had with a student. Though Sullivan is not named, she said that she is the “complainant” referred to in a lengthy section of the document that concerns Sargent.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WGAL

LANCASTER, Pa. —
The name Sandusky used to mean Penn State football, but that’s changed.

Matthew Sandusky, the adopted son of child sex offender Jerry Sandusky, was in Lancaster on Friday to talk about growing up with the man many now consider a monster.

“I was 8 years old when the abuse started, and I say 8 years old because that’s where his grooming started, of me. He knew what he was selecting me for. He knew what his behaviors were angled towards,” Sandusky said.

He said he was abused by his adopted father for nearly 10 years. He kept quiet until he was 33, when he disclosed the abuse to authorities.

“At the trial, one of the victims who I knew speaking his truth from the stand showed tremendous courage and it was in that moment where I really knew that this had happened to other people,” Sandusky 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.

TEXAS
KTAS

by Doug Myers & Maria Aguilera

ABILENE, Texas — Police are now investigating 21 reported cases of sexual abuse of children involving a 24-year-old former Abilene church daycare worker.

That number includes eight “confirmed” cases of abuse tied to Benjamin Russell Roberts, an ex-childcare worker at Wylie Baptist Church’s Child Development Center and childcare programs at two other Abilene churches.

Victims have also been identified at Southern Hills Church of Christ, according to Police Chief Stan Standridge, who held a news conference Friday to update the news media on an investigation that continues to escalate.

“The elders, ministry staff, and all members of Southern Hills Church of Christ are heartbroken to learn that the Abilene Police Department has received information of a potential victim or victims of abuse in the investigation of a former Southern Hills employee, Ben Robert.” said the Southern Hills elders in a statement to KTXS.

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.

TEXAS
Star-Telegram

BY SARAH SMITH
ssmith@star-telegram.com

MESQUITE
A fundamentalist Baptist church with two high-ranking members facing sexual abuse charges and a pastor charged with not reporting it has a decadeslong history of similar problems.

Robert A. Ross, the pastor of Open Door Baptist Church in Mesquite, was arrested Tuesday on charges of failing to report child abuse. He posted his $2,500 bond. Ross learned, on Feb. 1, of allegations that church member Steven Winn was sexually assaulting a 15-year-old and failed to immediately report it to police, according to a release from the Mesquite Police Department.

Open Door Baptist Church in Mesquite has had four members accused of sexual abuse in its 50-year history. Members and ex-members say a strict culture that reveres church authorities as nearly unquestionable has led to an environment conducive to ongoing abuse.

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
Modesto Bee

BY GARTH STAPLEY
gstapley@modbee.com

April 06, 2018

A former youth minister at a prominent Modesto church accused of sexually abusing a then-teen girl three decades ago is the target of an upcoming independent investigation.

GRACE, or Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, led by a grandson of the late Billy Graham, will conduct the probe of Brad Tebbutt, who now works for a religious organization in Missouri, GRACE confirmed to The Modesto Bee late Thursday.

The alleged victim in Modesto, Jennifer Graves Roach, now 47, said she will cooperate with the investigation.

“You don’t get better than that,” Roach said of GRACE’s “impeccable credentials.” She said, “I trust them, and (a third-party investigation) is what I’ve been pushing for.”

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.

PENNSYLVANIA
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie

Promulgated by the Diocese of Erie
Effective July 1, 2018

Policy for the Protection of Children
Statement from the Communications Office
Statement from Bishop Lawrence T. Persico

INTRODUCTION
First and foremost, the Diocese of Erie apologizes for the abuse of children caused by priests or other employees. Such conduct is reprehensible. Any efforts to conceal such conduct are also reprehensible. The Diocese of Erie recognizes its responsibility and is committed to regaining the trust of not only its parishioners but of all people.

We will shine light on the abuses of the past and be transparent in our decisions today. We will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that justice is done. We want to specifically acknowledge and apologize to the courageous and resilient survivors and witnesses whose voices previously were unheard or silenced. We recognize the Pennsylvania State Attorney General, who — working with a statewide grand jury — gave these people a voice. They are to be commended for their courage.

KEY UPDATES

Apologies, however, are not enough. The Diocese of Erie has been developing policies, procedures, and training programs since the 1980s specifically designed to protect the most vulnerable people in our society from people that would do them harm. This web page is part of a larger program to ensure such protection. The Diocese of Erie is working with law enforcement, medical experts, survivor support groups, compliance experts, and academia to ensure that its efforts are of the highest quality when it comes to maintaining a safe environment for our children and other vulnerable populations. The most recent version of our Child Protection Policy may be found here.

Our recent updates include:

^ An expansion of the scope of the abuse sought to be prevented to include sexual, physical, emotional, and neglectful abuse;

* Inclusion of numerous detailed examples and red flags in both our policy and training materials to educate people on how to recognize abuse or unsafe situations;

* Reliance by the diocese on independent, professional investigators and lawyers to ensure the best possibility of arriving at the truth concerning each allegation, while respecting the rights of all and offering full cooperation with law enforcement; and

* The creation of a transparent and centralized system to encourage abuse reporting, screen personnel, document investigative findings, and inform the community about abuse-related employment or volunteerism decisions.

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.

PENNSYLVANIA
WFMJ

: Apr 06, 2018

By Mike Gauntner, Online Content Manager

ERIE, Pa. –
The Diocese that covers Catholic churches and schools in Mercer and 12 other counties in Northwest Pennsylvania has unveiled what it says is a new policy for the protection of children.

Last month the diocese said that it planned to take steps similar to the Diocese of Buffalo that recently published a list of the names of 42 priests who have been credibly accused of sex abuse.

In an announcement Friday, the Diocese announced an update in policy regarding sexual abuse allegations.

An outline says that the biggest changes to the policy include:

An expansion of the scope of the abuse sought to be prevented to include sexual, physical, emotional, and neglectful abuse;

Inclusion of numerous detailed examples and red flags in both our policy and training materials to educate people on how to recognize abuse or unsafe situations;

Reliance by the diocese on independent, professional investigators and lawyers to ensure the best possibility of arriving at the truth concerning each allegation, while respecting the rights of all and offering full cooperation with law enforcement; and

The creation of a transparent and centralized system to encourage abuse reporting, screen personnel, document investigative findings, and inform the community about abuse-related employment or volunteerism decisions.

That final point, the transparency, includes operating a website in which the diocese lists the names of individuals who were previously employed by (or volunteered for or considered by) the Diocese of Erie or any related agency, but are now are prohibited from such employment (or volunteerism).

That list includes those who are still living and those who have passed.

According to the diocese, some of the names on the list may be recognizable as a result of a criminal conviction or other public report, however, other names are being disclosed publicly for the first time.

Officials say some people on this list cannot be convicted of a crime because of the passage of time, legal technicalities, their present whereabouts or mental state, or other factors; nonetheless, these people will not be accepted as employees or volunteers by the Diocese of Erie.

However, officials say every person named on this list was credibly accused of actions that, in the diocese’s judgment, disqualify that person from working with children. Such actions could include the use of child pornography, furnishing pornography to minors, corruption of minors, violating a child-protection policy, failure to prevent abuse that they knew to be happening, and — in some cases — direct physical sexual abuse or sexual assault of minors.

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.

PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By PennLive Editorial Board penned@pennlive.com

To say the Catholic Church has suffered from something of a credibility and transparency gap when it comes to dealing with allegations of clergy sexual abuse is the mildest of understatements.

Still, activists and survivors of clerical abuse have been unremitting in their call for local dioceses to release the names of priests accused of sexually abusing children.

They correctly argue that such a move would increase transparency, help victims to heal, and prevent abusers from living anonymously among unsuspecting families.

Disappointingly, most Catholic dioceses have declined to release such lists, furthering an atmosphere of distrust.

On Friday, however, officials in the Erie Catholic dioceses threw open the church doors and let the sun shine in, publishing a list of 34 priests and 17 lay people who are facing credible accusations of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior.

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.

MASSACHUSETTS
Taunton Gazette

By Brian Fraga
Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Apr 6, 2018

FALL RIVER — Major changes are coming to the Catholic Diocese of Fall River.

Over the next year and a half, all of its 82 parishes will be analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, and trying to figure out how to revitalize themselves. Some parishes will likely be recommended to be closed or merged.

“We are working here not to preserve buildings, but to preserve the faith,” Bishop Edgar da Cunha said during a press conference Thursday at the diocesan chancery offices on Highland Avenue.

Da Cunha said the “strategic planning process” underway in his diocese may include parish closings and mergers. He said no specific parishes have been targeted, but added that parishioners in some struggling churches will need to make difficult decisions.

“In some cases, not every church building will be there in the future,” he said.

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

PENNSYLVANIA
Fox 43

[with video[

APRIL 6, 2018, BY JOSSIE CARBONARE

LOWER PAXTON TOWNSHIP, DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa– After a 22 month Grand Jury look into sexual misconduct allegations from 6 different Catholic Dioceses in Pennsylvania, including one in Harrisburg, many people in the area are questioning if the Harrisburg Diocese will do the same as a grand jury investigation by the State Attorney General’s Office nears completion.

“The worst cases of victims that I heard their stories of sexual abuse have come out of the Harrisburg Diocese,” said Mark Rozzi (D) 126th district. “The Bishop has ultimate authority whether he wants to release that list or not,” Rozzi added.

Representative Mark Rozzi wants justice to be served and for a list to released showing all names of alleged abusers.

“If the church wants to take responsibility, then they need to support the legislation that will allow victims to go to court to sue them for what they did to those victims,” added Rozzi.

Kristen Hauser with ‘Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape’ says the release of the list could be a sense of closure and validation.

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.

PENNSYLVANIA
GoErie

By Ed Palattella

Posted Apr 6, 2018

Catholic Diocese of Erie says it hopes to help victims, community with its release 51 names of accused priests, laypeople

Bishop Lawrence Persico likened the event to ending a kind of darkness.

In a stunning break from years of Catholic Diocese of Erie policy, Persico on Friday released the names of priests and laypeople credibly accused of sexually abusing minors or engaging in improper behavior with minors since 1944. (scroll down for the list of names.)

“When everything is shrouded in cloud, everybody becomes suspicious,” Persico said. “Now that we have turned on the light it should be somewhat of a relief.”

He apologized to the victims on behalf of the diocese and said the release of the list is meant to help victims by letting them know “they are not alone.” He encouraged more victims to come forward.

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.

PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

By Nancy Eshelman
Special to PennLive

Failure by a person who is supposed to love and/or protect the child leaves lifelong scars.

Knowing that, it is painful to read that a state grand jury is poised to deliver “the worst report ever” on child abuse in the Catholic Church in six dioceses, including Harrisburg.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, who counts himself as a survivor of clergy abuse, said the grand jury had no trouble finding witnesses to testify. His hope is that the report will prompt the Legislature to pass laws allowing victims to get justice despite the passage of time.

“It’s going to continue to shed light on the need to eliminate the statute of limitations and give all these victims a voice and access to justice,” said Jennifer Storm, the state victim advocate.

I wonder, as I read this, if justice can heal those life-long scars. The sense of betrayal has to cut so deep that it must be almost impossible to repair.

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.

MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times

Stephanie Dickrell, sdickrell@stcloudtimes.com

A preliminary hearing for the Rev. Anthony Oelrich was moved to allow the defense more time to examine evidence

A preliminary hearing in a criminal sexual conduct case involving a St. Cloud priest has been pushed back more than a month.

The. Rev. Anthony Oelrich was scheduled to have an omnibus hearing Monday, but it has been moved to May 17.

Oelrich, 51, was charged with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree in February. The state statute makes it a crime for a member of clergy to engage in a sexual relationship with someone they are counseling spiritually or religiously.

At an omnibus hearing, a judge rules on the admissibility of evidence for the trial, and responds to arguments relating to violations of the defendant’s constitutional rights.

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

NEW YORK
WIVB

By: Jenn Schanz
Updated: Apr 06, 2018

LEWISTON, N.Y. (WIVB) – Former Buffalo Diocesan priest Fr. Joseph Rappl is accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy in 1981.

News 4 heard from the alleged victim Thursday; he is 48-years-old and currently living out of state. We spoke to him via phone from a Buffalo restaurant.

“I was very confused. I don’t know, I couldn’t process it. I was 11,” the alleged victim said.

While the alleged victim has asked to publicly remain anonymous, News 4 has verified his identity.

He says the abuse occurred at St. Peter’s Church in Lewiston.

Joseph Rappl, who is a volunteer at a Catholic youth camp called Camp Turner in Cattaraugus County, lives in North Carolina and is married according to is LinkedIn profile.

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

NEW YORK (NY)
Fortune

April 4, 2018

By Catherine Cortez Masto

The numbers are startling. Four out of 10 female congressional staffers believe that sexual harassment is a problem on Capitol Hill, according to a 2016 CQ Roll Call survey. One out every six of these women say they themselves are survivors of sexual harassment. These numbers show just how widespread sexual misconduct continues to be in Congress. This culture must change.

Sexual harassment cannot be tolerated in our workplaces, and Congress is no exception. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives took decisive action and passed bipartisan reforms to the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA), an outdated law that currently requires sexual assault survivors to endure an antiquated and often expensive dispute resolution process. The House bill eliminates forced mediation and mandatory “cooling off” periods before a victim can bring a lawsuit.

The reforms increase transparency for awards and settlements, and require members of both the House and Senate to pay for settlements stemming from cases of sexual harassment or discrimination for which they are personally responsible. The House also passed legislation that provides staff who are survivors of harassment or discrimination access to free legal representation.

The fact that the Senate leadership has failed to bring similar legislation to a vote is simply unacceptable.

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.

UNITED STATES
Glamour

April 5, 2018

By Abby Gardner

A new study from the Pew Research Center is diving deeper into how Americans feel about sexual harassment at work in the #MeToo era—and it’s not all good news. While culturally it has felt for months like a real shift has happened in this country, there are still some underlying doubts in the minds of many and more patriarchal strongholds deeply in place than one might hope.

The study surveyed 6251 adults in the U.S. and found that “many Americans also believe the increased focus on sexual harassment and assault poses new challenges for men as they navigate their interactions with women at work.” Over half (51 percent) believe that the recent developments have made it harder for men to interact with women at work. Only 28 percent of people believe that focusing on sexual harassment will lead to better opportunities for women at work, and 51 percent say it won’t make much of a difference. And the whole notion of believing women? That’s a bit of a sore spot too. When asked about women falsely claiming sexual harassment/assault, only 22 percent of those polled said it was “not a problem.” A much larger percentage categorized it as a major (31 percent) or minor (45 percent) issue.

All of this data is somewhat frustrating, but perhaps we shouldn’t be all that surprised. We knew trying to change the power structure inside offices across the country was never going to be easy, and long-held beliefs about how things have always been done are usually slow to change. But a bubbling undercurrent of doubt about the believability of women coming forward with their stories is definitely something we must keep an eye on.

The study does show that movements like #MeToo and Time’s Up have not been underestimating the scope of sexual harassment problem. About six out of 10 women surveyed say that they have been sexually harassed (compared with 27 percent of men.) And of those women who have been harassed over half (55 percent) say that it has happened both in and outside of work.

And so the fight goes on.

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.

LANSING (MI)
Reuters

April 5, 2018

By Dan Whitcomb

Michigan state lawmakers on Thursday released the results of an inquiry into Michigan State University’s handling of the Larry Nassar sexual assault case, criticizing school officials for failing to protect the victims.

The report by a Michigan House of Representatives committee specifically blames the university for a poor investigation into a complaint filed by victim Amanda Thomashow against Nassar in 2014, which erroneously found no wrongdoing by the disgraced physician.

The committee also proposed a series of reforms and legislation meant to ensure that a doctor in Nassar’s position could not carry out such abuse in the future.

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.

ENGLAND
Schools Week

April 4, 2018

By Pippa Allen-Kinross

A Catholic boarding school under investigation over its handling of abuse allegations has been stripped of its safeguarding responsibilities by the Charity Commission.

An interim manager has been appointed to take on responsibility for safeguarding at Ampleforth Abbey and the St Laurence Education Trust, which run Ampleforth College, as a result of what the commission described as “continued concerns about the extent to which current safeguarding risks to pupils at the schools run by the charities are being adequately managed”.

The Commission opened an inquiry into both charities in November 2016 following allegations of abuse linked to the college. The inquiry is investigating the trustees’ approach to safeguarding and how allegations of abuse were handled.

In a statement, the commission said the decision to bring in an outside manager was made because it was “not satisfied” that the current safeguarding measures are adequate and working properly. There are also concerns about compliance with established safeguarding procedures.

Emma Moody, a lawyer from Womble Bond Dickinson, will take over as interim manager of both the abbey and the trust.

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.

UNITED STATES
The Week

April 5, 2018

The golden hour of condemning sexual harassment is here, and apparently it’s making things complicated for men.

More than half of men — 55 percent — think our newfound focus on sexual assault has made it harder for them to figure out how they should interact with women at work, a Pew Research Center survey shows. Meanwhile, 47 percent of women said #MeToo spells trouble for men in the workplace.

There are sharp differences between generations on the issue. Of adults aged 18-29, just 42 percent said it’s harder for men to know how to act around women at work now, while 66 percent of those older than 65 said the same. Republican men felt the strongest, with 68 percent pointing out just how difficult a movement focused on women’s empowerment has been for them.

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.

LANSING (MI)
CNN

April 5, 2018

By Ellie Kaufman

Michigan State University fostered a culture that was more focused on protecting the school than the survivors of serial abuser Larry Nassar, a report released Thursday by the Michigan House of Representatives said.

State lawmakers conducted their own investigation of MSU’s handling of complaints against the former sports doctor to identify possible policy solutions. The House sent their findings to law enforcement for consideration in the Michigan Attorney General’s investigation of MSU’s handling of the Nassar case.

“The Attorney General appreciates the work done by the Michigan House of Representatives,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. “The investigative team will be reviewing the report.”

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

BUFFALO (NY)
WBEN

April 5, 2018

By Mike Baggerman

Claims abuse from 1981

An anonymous victim of clergy sexual abuse came forward on Thursday in the latest case against the Diocese of Buffalo.

John Doe, a 48-year-old male who grew up in Western New York but now lives in Washington, D.C., is accusing a former priest from the Diocese of Buffalo of sexual abuse in 1981, when Doe was 11 years old. Doe said the abuse occurred when he was an altar server. He was invited by the priest to a confessional and was sexually abused outside the booth following his confession.

We have reached out to the accused priest, who is still alive and lives outside of New York State, but have not received comment. We will not publish the name of the priest until we have further vetted the story.

“I spent 15 years working as an educator and I worked with numerous families that had survived this horrendous crime,” Doe said. “I don’t feel that society is very fair in terms of how people move forward. In my case, I’ve had a lifetime of behavioral health issues associated with this and I think there is a societal stigma attached to that….This occurred when I was 11. The first I ever discussed this was when I was in college, when I was 20 or 21. I have not really spoken a lot about this in my life.”

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.

ALBUQUERQUE (NM)
KOB4

April 5, 2018

By Chris Ramirez

On Sept. 12, 2017, the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe released, on its own accord, the names of 74 clergymen identified as credibly accused of sexually assaulting children. At the time, Archbishop John Wester stated the decision for releasing the list stemmed from a desire to rebuilt trust and heal wounds.

But months later, a pair of newly filed lawsuits are calling into question how accurate and how complete the list of 74 priests.

A lawsuit filed in Santa Fe District Court in March alleges at least one name was wrongly included. Another lawsuit filed Thursday claims the list is missing 46 priests.

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.

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

April 7, 2018

By Gerard Henderson

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her Victorian counterpart, Daniel Andrews, were the first to sign up their respective states to the national redress scheme following the report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. No other state and no territory has followed their lead at this stage.

Then, last Tuesday, Berejiklian and her Attorney-General, Mark Speakman, announced NSW’s full response to the report. In short, NSW has adopted the overwhelming majority of the royal commission’s recommendations.

In view of the substantial coverage by the ABC of child sexual abuse in general and the royal commission in particular, it might have been expected that the public broadcaster’s journalists would respond positively to NSW’s prompt action.

But this was not the reaction of Nick Grimm when he covered the matter on the ABC’s The World Today last Tuesday. Instead, Grimm cross-examined Berejiklian on one of the matters where her government has not embraced the royal commission’s recommendation with respect to what the Catholic Church terms the seal of the sacrament of penance pending discussion at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

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.

KANSAS CITY (MO)
National Catholic Reporter

April 6, 2018

By Brian Roewe

More leadership upheaval has hit the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

Roughly a year after founder Barbara Blaine and executive director David Clohessy departed the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, another longtime leader, Barbara Dorris, has left the sexual abuse victims’ advocacy organization, along with the president of its board of directors and another board member.

Dorris, who spent 16 years with SNAP mostly as its outreach director, overseeing its support efforts to survivors of sexual abuse by clergy, more recently served as executive director in the wake of the resignations of Clohessy, who left at the end of 2016, and Blaine, who departed the following February. Eight months later, Blaine died unexpectedly while on vacation in Utah.

In an email Thursday, April 5, to the SNAP network, new board president Tim Lennon announced Dorris’ resignation.

“Barb’s leaving, like the departure of our founders, will cause some uncertainty and unease; feelings that are reasonable and understandable. Our mission remains, our leaders remain, our website remains. We will continue the mission of SNAP and carry forward the pioneering work of Barbara, David and Barb,” Lennon said.

Dorris, 70, told NCR her decision to leave SNAP was “an extremely difficult decision and nothing I did lightly.” She said she hopes to remain involved in the broader movement to protect children and hold institutions accountable, but made clear that won’t be with SNAP.

“I am no longer in any way associated with SNAP,” she 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.

ERIE (PA)
The Associated Press

April 6, 2018

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, has published a list of 34 priests and 17 lay people who have faced credible accusations of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior.

It’s the first time the diocese has revealed the names of those accused of abuse.

The move comes as a grand jury run by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office investigates how that diocese and five others in Pennsylvania have handled misconduct allegations against priests.

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.

ERIE (PA)
Penn Live

April 6, 2018

By Teresa Bonner

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, is publishing a list of 34 priests and 17 lay people against whom credible accusations of sexual abuse or other inappropriate behavior have been leveled.

It’s the first time the diocese has revealed the names of those accused of abuse.

Bishop Lawrence Persico began the news conference by addressing victims of abuse.

“I would like to express my sincere sorrow and apologies for the sexual abuse that has occurred within the church, particularly here, within the Diocese of Erie,” he said, noting that he has spoken with some victims.

“It is appalling to learn what they went through,” he said. “Abuse is traumatic enough but it is earth-shattering when it is perpetrated by someone in a position of trust.”

The move comes as a grand jury run by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office investigates how the Erie diocese, the Diocese of Harrisburg and four others in Pennsylvania have handled misconduct allegations against priests.

“We don’t know when the grand jury report will be forthcoming,” Persico said, “but I am sure it will be a sobering moment for all of us.

The diocese began the process of examining its past in 2016, which was the year that a grand jury report into child sexual abuse by clergy in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown was made public. At that time, the diocese invited the district attorney to view its records.

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.

ST. CLOUD (MN)
St. Cloud Times

April 5, 2018

By Stephanie Dickrell

A preliminary hearing for the Rev. Anthony Oelrich was moved to allow the defense more time to examine evidence

A preliminary hearing in a criminal sexual conduct case involving a St. Cloud priest has been pushed back more than a month.

The. Rev. Anthony Oelrich was scheduled to have an omnibus hearing Monday, but it has been moved to May 17.

Oelrich, 51, was charged with criminal sexual conduct in the third degree in February. The state statute makes it a crime for a member of clergy to engage in a sexual relationship with someone they are counseling spiritually or religiously.

At an omnibus hearing, a judge rules on the admissibility of evidence for the trial, and responds to arguments relating to violations of the defendant’s constitutional rights.

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.

BUFFALO (NY)
WBFO

April 6, 2018

By Michael Mroziak

A New Jersey-based organization which has brought forth victims of alleged sexual abuse by priests within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has introduced yet another accuser. Only this time, unlike other recent accusers, the person raising the charge is maintaining his anonymity.

Robert Hoatson, a former Catholic priest who now heads the sexual abuse advocacy group Road to Recovery had the alleged victim waiting to speak via smartphone. John Doe, as he identified himself, now lives in the Washington D.C. area and claims that around 1981, he was molested by Father Joseph Rappl while hearing his confession at St. Peter’s Church in Lewiston.

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.

SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
The Mercury News

April 5, 2018

By Marisa Kendall

Cindy Chau seemed to have it made. She paid $1,200 a month for a rent-controlled, one bedroom apartment in San Francisco – a city where tenants regularly shell out nearly three times that.

But Chau alleges living there came with a hidden cost not spelled out in any lease – a property manager who bombarded her with sexual text messages and persistent come-ons, once propositioning her in her own home while he was supposed to be fixing her sink.

“I just couldn’t go back to living there,” Chau said. “I didn’t feel safe.”

While the #MeToo movement has shed light on workplace sexual harassment in California’s technology sector, entertainment industry, politics and beyond, little attention is paid to the same abuses between landlords and tenants. But tenants-rights lawyers say the harassment Bay Area women are reporting – from unwanted touching to offers of free rent in exchange for sex – is particularly chilling because it involves someone with keys to the victim’s home and the power to take that home away. And with local rent prices soaring, many women can’t put an end to the harassment by moving out, because they can’t afford to live anywhere else.

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.

BUFFALO (NY)
WKBW

April 5, 2018

By Charlie Specht

Diocese investigating Fr. Joseph Rappl

“I just tried to be, you know, someone who was good and attended Mass and went to confession.”

It was after that confession decades ago that an 11-year-old altar boy in Lewiston says he was abused by a Diocese of Buffalo priest.

“I had asked to have a confession, and after the confession he sexually abused me,” said the man, who was identified Thursday as “John Doe” at a news conference in Buffalo, where he spoke by telephone to reporters.

The church was St. Peter in Lewiston. The priest: Father Joseph Rappl. That 11-year-old altar boy is 48 now. Even decades later, he is too ashamed to give his name.

“It’s very difficult to talk about,” he said. “I felt embarrassed. I felt ashamed. I didn’t know how people would respond. You know, it took this long for me to have the courage to come forward and speak about this.”

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HARRISBURG (PA)
Penn Live

April 5, 2018

By Christine Vendel

Activists and survivors have spent years calling for Catholic Church dioceses to release the names of priests accused of sexually abusing children.

They argued the move would increase transparency, help victims heal and prevent abusers from living anonymously in neighborhoods amid unsuspecting families.

Most dioceses across the country have resisted releasing public lists, but some have obliged. Last month, the Buffalo Diocese in New York released a list of 42 names. Two days later, the Erie Diocese in Pennsylvania pledged to follow suit with its own list that could be released any day now.

The announcement came amid news that a two-year grand jury probe is coming to a close after examining how Erie and five other Pennsylvania dioceses handled accusations against priests.

Erie’s announcement sent shockwaves through dioceses across Pennsylvania that are now grappling with whether they, too, should create a public list and, if so, who should make the cut?

Such lists can cover a wide range of possibilities including any priest ever accused by anyone to including only priests who have been criminally prosecuted.

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PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive

April 6, 2018

By Nancy Eshelman

Nothing damages a child more than betrayal of trust.

Failure by a person who is supposed to love and/or protect the child leaves lifelong scars.

Knowing that, it is painful to read that a state grand jury is poised to deliver “the worst report ever” on child abuse in the Catholic Church in six dioceses, including Harrisburg.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, who counts himself as a survivor of clergy abuse, said the grand jury had no trouble finding witnesses to testify. His hope is that the report will prompt the Legislature to pass laws allowing victims to get justice despite the passage of time.

“It’s going to continue to shed light on the need to eliminate the statute of limitations and give all these victims a voice and access to justice,” said Jennifer Storm, the state victim advocate.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Catholic Philly

April 5, 2018

By Lou Baldwin

Last month Archbishop Charles J. Chaput appointed former First Assistant District Attorney of Philadelphia John P. Delaney Jr. as director of the archdiocesan Office for Investigations, succeeding the retired Albert Toczydlowski, who was the founding director of that office seven years ago.

“The work of the Office of Investigation,” the archbishop said in a statement, “is critical to our efforts to protect children and ensure integrity within archdiocesan operations.”

While praising Toczydlowski for his excellent service in pioneering the work of Office for Investigations, he said, “I’m confident that Mr. Delaney is the ideal candidate to continue the work of this vital office. He has the right mix of leadership skills, professional background, credibility and energy to serve in this demanding position.”

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ALLENTOWN (PA)
PennLive

April 6, 2018

By Ivey DeJesus

Six dioceses under investigation: The story so far

As early as May, a state grand jury is expected to release the findings of its investigation into allegations of clergy sex abuse across six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania.

Since 2016, when the grand jury was empaneled, investigators have been hearing testimony and examining documents in connection to allegations that church officials, in some cases for decades, failed to protect children from predator priests.

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SALT LAKE CITY (UT)
The Associated Press

April 6, 2018

A woman who says a former Mormon missionary leader raped her in the 1980s and that the church failed to take her allegations seriously has filed a lawsuit, saying Thursday she wants the church to change the way it handles sexual abuse reports. McKenna Denson, 55, said she opted to take legal action after becoming fed up that local church leaders failed to take disciplinary action despite reporting the allegations several times over three decades.

She said her experience illustrates systematic problems in the church with sexual abuse claims.

Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the institution has faith in the judicial system. The church has previously said it’s investigating Denson’s allegations and last week updated guidelines for how local leaders should deal with sexual abuse claims.

The church should encourage members to report abuse first to police, not local leaders, and require local leaders to call police when they hear of abuse, not a church hotline as currently directed, Denson’s attorney, Craig Vernon, said at a news conference.

“Nothing happened. McKenna wasn’t believed,” Vernon said. “McKenna was blamed, McKenna was shamed.”

The Associated Press doesn’t usually name alleged victims of sexual assault but Denson has decided to go public with her story.

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SALT LAKE CITY (UT)
The Salt Lake Tribune

April 4, 2018

By Peggy Fletcher Stack

Last week, a 35-year-old woman, who was adopted as an infant by a Mormon couple, discovered her name in an unexpected place: It was in the first item on a list of damaging information an LDS Church-hired attorney had compiled about her birth mother.

That mother was the one who has alleged she was raped in 1984 by Joseph L. Bishop, then the president of the Missionary Training Center in Provo, while she was an LDS missionary.

And the extensive list revealed the lawyer’s efforts to assess the accuser’s credibility, an aggressive response that some say could scare away other sexual assault victims and prevent them from stepping forward.

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SALT LAKE CITY (UT)
The Associated Press

April 5, 2018

By Brady McCombs

A woman who says a former Mormon missionary leader raped her in the 1980s and that the church failed to take her allegations seriously has filed a lawsuit, saying Thursday she wants the church to change the way it handles sexual abuse reports.

McKenna Denson, 55, said she opted to take legal action after becoming fed up that local church leaders failed to take disciplinary action despite reporting the allegations several times over three decades. She said her experience illustrates systematic problems in the church with sexual abuse claims.

Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the institution has faith in the judicial system. The church has previously said it’s investigating Denson’s allegations and last week updated guidelines for how local leaders should deal with sexual abuse claims.

The church should encourage members to report abuse first to police, not local leaders, and require local leaders to call police when they hear of abuse, not a church hotline as currently directed, Denson’s attorney, Craig Vernon, said at a news conference.

“Nothing happened. McKenna wasn’t believed,” Vernon said. “McKenna was blamed, McKenna was shamed.”

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.

ERIE (PA)
GoErie.com

April 6, 2018

By Ed Palattella

Bishop Lawrence Persico increases transparency with disclosures, which diocese is making as a statewide grand jury nears end of its probe of how Erie diocese, others handled allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

The Catholic Diocese of Erie on Friday opened a long-locked vault of secrets and released the names of diocesan priests accused of sexually abusing minors.

In a reversal of diocesan policies, Bishop Lawrence Persico disclosed the names at a 10 a.m. news conference at St. Mark Center in Erie, the headquarters of the 13-county, 202,000-member diocese.

Persico released the names about two weeks after the diocese issued a March 21 statement that it would make the disclosures soon. The diocese issued that statement a day after the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo released the names of 42 priests, 24 of whom are dead, accused of sexually abusing minors in that diocese.

On March 21, the spokeswoman for the Erie diocese, Anne-Marie Welsh, said, “We have been preparing to take similar steps in the next several weeks.”

The Erie diocese said the purpose of the Friday news conference was to unveil its revised policy for the Protection of Children and Youth.

The disclosures are a stunning break from diocesan policy. The disclosures also come as a statewide investigative grand jury is in the final stages of its review of how the Erie diocese and five other Catholic dioceses statewide handled allegations of clerical sexual abuse. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is running the probes.

The grand jury’s term is expected to end by April 30, with its report to be finished several months later. The report will be public and is expected to name abusive priests, based on previous grand jury reports on other Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania. A year ago, the attorney general’s office released a highly critical 147-page grand jury report on the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown that named priests.

Policy changes online

The Catholic Diocese of Erie said it will soon have a new web page based on information released at Friday’s news conference on its website: eriercd.org/policyupdate.htm

Persico, who started as the bishop of the Erie diocese in October 2012, a year ago introduced a policy of publicly disclosing the names of priests who, from that point on, have been permanently dismissed from the priesthood for disciplinary reasons or removed from active clerical duty for reasons related to wrongdoing.

Persico’s policy reflects the sweeping changes that Catholic dioceses across the United States made in response to the child sex-abuse scandal that exploded nationwide in 2002.

But Persico’s predecessor as bishop, Donald W. Trautman, who led the diocese from 1990 to 2012, did not publicize the names of abusive or defrocked priests.

In 2004, the diocese released data that showed 20 priests were credibly accused of sexually abusing a total of 38 minors in the diocese from 1950 to 2002. The Erie Times-News identified many of them based on its reporting.

The diocese released these names Friday:

Individuals believed to be alive and living in the locations noted.

• Former Fr. Michael J. Amy — Niceville, Florida. Laicized (removed from ministry and later voluntarily resigned from the clergy).

• Fr. Michael G. Barletta — Erie. Forbidden to function as a priest.

• Fr. Robert F. Bower — Edinboro. Forbidden to function as a priest.

• Andre C. Butler — Rosedale, New York. Former lay agency employee.

• Former Fr. Dennis C. Chludzinski — Erie. Laicized.

• Megan E. Fecko — Cleveland. Former lay teacher.

• Kevin J. Feyas — Erie. Former lay teacher and parish musician.

• Former Fr. Chester J. Gawronski — Sahuarita, Arizona. Dismissed from the clergy.

• Timothy G. Hanson, Sr. — North East. Layman prohibited from volunteer work or entering school property.

• Fr. Stephen E. Jeselnic — Colorado Springs, Colorado. Forbidden to function as a priest.

• Former Fr. Gary L. Ketcham — Erie. Laicized.

• Fr. Thaddeus T. Kondzielski — Waterford. Forbidden to function as a priest.

• Kevin S. Kulhanek — Erie. Former lay school volunteer.

• Fr. Salvatore P. Luzzi — Bradford. Forbidden to function as a priest.

• Eve Minter (nee Spangler) — Henrico, Virginia. Former lay teacher.

• David Montgomery — Otisville, New York. (In federal prison until 2041) Former lay teacher.

• Fr. Leon T. Muraski — Erie. Forbidden to function as a priest.

• Denise J. (nee Geitner) Myers (Meyer) — Greensburg. Former lay teacher.

• Hattie B. Nichols — Erie. Former lay agency employee.

• Philip J. Pochatko — Subiaco, Arkansas. Former lay school teacher.

• Brian J. Radachy — Elkton, Ohio. (In federal prison until 2024) Former lay school teacher.

• Former Fr. Samuel B. Slocum — Bradford. Dismissed from the clergy.

• Former Fr. Thomas E. Smith — Erie. Dismissed from the clergy.

• Fr. Daniel J. Taylor — Tucson, Arizona. Forbidden to function as a priest.

• Ron Thomsen — Erie. Former lay volunteer.

• Dennis E. Vickery — Erie. Former lay teacher.

• Joseph M. Votino — Masury, Ohio. Former lay teacher/coach.

• Craig T. Ward — Erie. Former lay agency employee.

Deceased (“who but for their death would be on the list of people prohibited from employment”)

• Fr. Donald C. Bolton, CSsR.

• Fr. Edmund S. Borycz, OFM.

• Msgr. Bonaventure M. Ciufoli. Returned to Italy.

• Fr. Donald J. Cooper.

• William (Bill) Couse. Former lay school employee.

• Fr. David V. Dobrowolski (abuse reported after his death).

• William P. Garvey. Former lay teacher/coach (later served as Mercyhurst College president).

• Fr. Herbert G. Gloekler (abuse reported after his death).

• Fr. Robert E. Hannon.

• Fr. Joseph W. Jerge.

• Fr. Edward W. Jungquist.

• Fr. Thomas C. Kelley.

• Fr. Gerard (Gerald, Gerry) H. Krebs.

• Fr. Jerry Kucan, OFM.

• Msgr. Daniel Martin.

• Msgr. Joseph F. Meisinger (abuse reported after his death).

• Fr. John L. Murray.

• Fr. Giles L. Nealen, OSB.

• Fr. John A. Piatkowski. Believed to have died in 1970 with ability to function (records incomplete from relevant time periods).

• Former Fr. William F. Presley.

• Fr. John P. Schanz.

• Fr. Charles A. Sheets, Jr.

• Bishop Alfred M. Watson, Bishop of Erie. Failed to act to stop abuse which was credibly reported to him.

Three individuals are under investigation by law enforcement (each presumed innocent unless proved otherwise):

• Fr. Sean P. Kerins — Naples, Florida.

• Fr. David L. Poulson — Oil City.

• John (Jack) E. Tome — location unknown (last known to be in Columbia, Maryland).

With the release of the names, the Erie diocese has joined the list of more than 30 Catholic dioceses nationwide that have disclosed the names of priests accused of abuse, according to bishopaccountability.org. The Roman Catholic Church operates 33 archdioceses and 145 dioceses in the United States.

In the Erie diocese, before Friday, Persico on Feb. 13 had most recently named priests who had resigned or been removed. He announced that he had accepted the resignation of the Poulson, 64, the pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Cambridge Springs, after the diocese received what it believes to be “credible allegations against Father Poulson regarding the sexual abuse of minors.”

Persico also announced on Feb. 13 that Kerins, 27, was removed from his roles as chaplain at Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, Mercer County, and from the Church of the Good Shepherd Parish in West Middlesex, after the diocese determined that Kerins sent a series of inappropriate text messages to a Kennedy Catholic student.

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BUFFALO (NY)
Spectrum Local News

April 5, 2018

By Rochelle Alleyne

In 1981, a Western New York native says a man he trusted, did the unthinkable at a Catholic church in Lewiston.

“I had asked to have a confession and after the confession, he sexually abused me.”

That survivor came forward Thursday, over the phone.

We’ve identified him as “John Doe” because he doesn’t want to reveal his identity.

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LANSING (MI)
Lansing State Journal

April 5, 2018

By Matt Mencarini

Larry Nassar’s medical license in the state of Michigan has been permanently revoked, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Last year, a state disciplinary board revoked it for three years after the AG’s Office submitted an administrative complaint.

“A couple of months ago, Attorney General Schuette filed a second administrative complaint against Lawrence Nassar based on his CSC convictions,” spokeswoman Andrea Bitley said in a statement. “We did this because under the first administrative complaint, we couldn’t get a permanent revocation of Nassar’s medical license (because of the limitations in the Public Health Code).”

She added that the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery’s disciplinary board permanently revoked Nassar’s medical license on Thursday morning and fined him $1 million, to be paid after any other fines, restitution, and criminal penalties.

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SALT LAKE CITY (UT)
The Salt Lake Tribune

April 5, 2018

By Nate Carlisle

A woman who alleges the then-president of the LDS Missionary Training Center raped her sued The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Wednesday.

McKenna Denson says in her lawsuit that the church placed Joseph L. Bishop in charge of the training center in Provo despite “red flag sexual improprieties” years earlier.

Those include, the lawsuit claims, improprieties with a young woman while serving as a missionary in Argentina and inappropriate treatment of women when Bishop was president of Weber State University.

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