ABUSE TRACKER

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

February 2, 2020

Church leaders swept issues under someone else’s rug

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

Febraury 2, 2020

By John Feguson

The Warren report is another depressingly familiar indictment of old school religious dysfunction and mendacity.

No minutes, no records, plenty of complaints and plenty of victims. Got a problem? Shift it around like a bishop on a chess board.

The net effect is twofold.

First, children’s lives are destroyed and then the modern church leadership must deal with the bitter carnage that flows from the sins of the fathers.

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.

Exclusive: Review unearths years of sex abuse by Jesuits priests

AUSTRALIA
The Australian

February 2, 2020

By John Ferguson

Sex-offence allegations against 21 Jesuit priests and lay staff have been unearthed in an independent review into the society’s ­duplicitous handling of serial pedophile and former brother Victor Higgs.

Former Victorian Supreme Court chief justice Marilyn ­Warren said the 21 other offenders were accused of misconduct between 1968 and 1971, with Higgs transferred to Sydney’s St Ignatius at Riverview from Adelaide’s St Ignatius at Athelstone in 1970.

It is the first time the extent of offending across the order in the late 1960s and early 70s had been made public and was cited by Ms Warren as relevant to the society’s decision-making when dealing with Higgs.

Higgs, now in his 80s and in jail, was sent from Adelaide to Sydney despite the order’s hierarchy knowing that he had ­assaulted children at the Athelstone campus.

Ms Warren’s review into Higgs has revealed an extraordinary lack of documentation previously kept by the order in Australia, including three of its marquee schools — Riverview, Xavier College in Melbourne and St Ignatius in Adelaide.

She found that at least three complaints about Higgs’s behaviour were made to St Ignatius’s then Athelstone rector, the late Father Frank Wallace, before Higgs was shifted to Sydney in a state of internal disgrace.

Ms Warren found that the order’s then provincial, the late Father Francis Kelly, knew that Higgs had offended against children at the Adelaide campus.

Despite these complaints, Higgs was moved to Sydney, where his offending intensified while working at Riverview’s boarding school.

The current-day Society of Jesus provincial, Father Brian McCoy, told The Australian that anyone with complaints about wrongdoing should approach the order, stressing it had been a lamentable chapter in its history.

“Certainly we would want people to come forward and feel free to come forward,’’ he told The Australian.

The full report of Ms Warren’s review was sent to survivors of Higgs at the weekend and comes after relentless debate about what the order knew, and when, about his depraved ways.

Higgs was an overweight ­alcoholic who preyed on dozens of children in Adelaide and Sydney, despite authorities being told very early that he was an offender. He has been convicted in both states off multiple offences.

Higgs also worked at Xavier College in Melbourne and St Aloysius in Sydney.

Victims said Higgs was a ­voyeur who also touched them on their genitalia in the guise of monitoring their sexual development. He picked on sexually underdeveloped children.

In conducting the inquiry, Ms Warren has exposed a culture where the order in the late 1960s would deliberately leave out of meeting minutes discussion about pedophiles.

“In my view, the fact of these complaints was a factor in the ­decision to move Higgs from Athelstone to Riverview in 1970,’’ she found. She wrote to the society in December seeking more documents and answers in relation to the 21 other accused.

The first of the allegations ­relating to the 21 did not surface until decades after the offences occurred and not all allegations were substantiated or referred to police, sometimes because the ­accuser did not want to progress through the courts.

Only two of the 21 accused are still with the order, one having been exonerated and the other is on restricted duties.

Regarding Higgs, Father McCoy said: “I need to apologise. … We dropped the ball and people got hurt and they’ve carried the burden. We let people down. And, yes, we failed to keep records and I think that some of the Jesuits and others didn’t think it was as serious as it was.’’

Higgs pleaded guilty in 2016 to two counts of indecent assault at St Ignatius in Adelaide and was sentenced to 2½ years’ jail for ­offences between 1968 and 1970. In 2018, he was found guilty of 16 counts of indecent assault at Riverview against six boys.

The Warren review was set up by the Jesuits to determine what the order knew and when about Higgs. Father Wallace, now dead, was the principal at the school and the review found he had been told at least three times that Higgs was an offender.

Bishop Greg O’Kelly was at Athlestone, as a scholastic, and denied knowing about Higgs’s ­activities, despite the disgraced former brother being widely lampooned by students at the time.

Ms Warren did not find against Bishop O’Kelly, although he did concede he had heard ­rumours about Higgs many years after the bishop was moved to Riverview in 1982. This was after Higgs was moved from Riverview.

“I might have heard it ­(rumours of voyeurism) once or twice, then in a way I thought it was an issue that was dead and gone because he had been moved out of a boarding school,’’ Bishop O’Kelly told the review.

The review heard that a meeting 50 years ago of the order’s consultors would not record evidence of pedophiles within their midst. Instead, these matters were recorded simply as dots.

There were no headmaster’s diaries held by St Ignatius in ­Adelaide from 1968-1971 and all the Jesuit consultors of that era are dead.

The Warren inquiry was ­conducted, in effect, as a full ­judicial review of Higgs’s movement by the order, minus coercive powers.

The current-day Jesuits have been hamstrung by a lack of records and the death or sickness of most involved.

Ms Warren said that understanding the way the order had handled the other allegations might help instruct her investigations into Higgs.

Michael Advocate, who uses a pseudonym, is a high-profile critic of the Catholic Church’s handling of the abuse scandal.

He told The Australian that the church would never rise above its past.

“It’s totally impossible for the Catholic Church to recover any relevance or self-worth,’’ 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.

Priest: Kobe Bryant sought redemption through his Catholic faith [Opinion]

UNITED STATES
CNN

January 30, 2020

By Father Edward Beck

Father Edward L. Beck, C.P., is a Roman Catholic priest and a religion commentator for CNN. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.

There is a line in the Leonard Cohen song “Anthem” that reads, “There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.” Kobe Bryant had some cracks, but there was bright, redemptive light there, too.

Bryant was a practicing Catholic who took his faith seriously, walking the talk. He attended Mass on Sundays — and some weekdays, too. He supported multiple charitable causes, including his own family foundation dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need.

He said his faith is what got him through the tough times. These would include a grave and hurtful one of his own making: a rape allegation against him in 2003 by a 19-year-old Eagle, Colorado, hotel employee.

At the time of the alleged sexual assault, in a troubling series of events, Bryant claimed that he thought the sex was consensual (even though he admitted to police that he had not explicitly asked for consent); his legal team tried to discredit the accuser by portraying her as promiscuous, and said her name in open court multiple times; and the court system leaked it to the media.

Ultimately, prosecutors dropped the criminal case, citing the woman’s unwillingness to continue to cooperate. She did however file a civil lawsuit against Bryant that resulted in an undisclosed settlement.

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.

SBC leader’s tweet renews scrutiny of pastor’s past and shows limits of sex abuse reforms, say activists

HOUSTON (TX)
Houston Chronicle

January 31, 2020

By Robert Downen and Sarah Smith

Three decades after he was sued for sexual misconduct, pastor Terry Smith is again facing public scrutiny.

This time it’s from abuse survivors and activists who say Smith’s continued ministry, following a judge’s ruling that his conduct was “improper and outrageous,” shows the limitations of the Southern Baptist Convention’s efforts to combat sexual abuse.

The renewed attention to Smith started with former SBC President Paige Patterson tweeting earlier this month that Smith’s congregation, Victory Baptist Church in the Dallas suburb of Rowlett, had honored him as a “defender of the faith.”

Many abuse survivors and activists quickly denounced the decision to recognize Patterson, citing his recent ouster as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary over his handling of multiple abuse claims.

Attention then turned to Smith, who has a record of abuse allegations and was sued by a woman who said he took advantage of counseling sessions to sexually abuse her. Critics asked why that history — easily available by googling his name — hadn’t kept him and others with similar histories out of Baptist pulpits.

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.

Peace be with you

VIRGINIA
Martinsville Bulletin

January 31, 2020

By Bill Wyatt

Martinsville priest Father Mark White’s popular blog has drawn lots of readers and the scorn of leaders of the Richmond Diocese because of his criticism of the Catholic Church’s handling of sexual abuse cases. But his voice and his words have been silenced. This week he could be out of a job.

In February 2019 the sexual abuse scandal that has bedeviled the Roman Catholic Church landed in Martinsville when the Diocese of Richmond named two former priests at St. Joseph Catholic Church among 42 across central and Southwest Virginia who it said had been sex abusers.

The diocese, in its statement identifying John Joseph Munley, who was pastor between 1971 and 1975 and died in 1995, and Harris Markam Findlay (1955-59), did not say how many accusers the men faced, simply releasing a statement from Bishop Barry Knestout: “To those who experienced abuse from clergy, I am truly, deeply sorry.”

That announcement, though, was only a byproduct of a much more troubling announcement that same month that has started a process that could threaten the appointment of a third priest in Martinsville, one whose only contribution to the sex scandal were his widely consumed comments about how badly he thought the church was handling it.

That February, former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick had been dismissed from the clergy about eight months after his resignation in July 2018 from the College of Cardinals and was accepted by Pope Francis. A church investigation and trial had found him guilty of sexual crimes against adults and minors and abuse of power.

The Catholic News Agency reported three weeks ago that McCarrick voluntarily had left the St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kan., and would only describe his new residence as “a community for those removed from the ministry.” And a much-anticipated report from the Vatican concerning McCarrick has remained sealed. Both of those facts have outraged many Catholics.

Among those critics was Father Mark White, priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Martinsville and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Rocky Mount.

But now he speaks no more.

The Diocese in Richmond late last year ordered White to silence and possibly could dismiss him from the priesthood for the disgust he has expressed about how the church has responded to the sexual abuse scandal and McCarrick’s involvement in it in both a widely read blog and from the pulpit.

White’s comments about McCarrick and other issues related to sexual abuse in the church not only are based in his understanding of how the church works but also from a deep and very personal angst: He was ordained by McCarrick, who was once one of the most recognized Cardinals in American history.

“I’m from D.C.,” White said. “I served in the Archdiocese of Washington from 2003 to 2010. I was in Montgomery County, Rockville, Maryland, for a period of time. I was in Prince George County for a period of time.”

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.

Victim-survivor says ‘ripple effects’ of clergy sex abuse ‘go on and on’.

LAKE ELMO (MN)
Catholic News Service via the Boston Pilot

January 31, 2020

By Joe Ruff

For Frank Meuers, a victim-survivor of clergy sexual abuse, the impact is far-reaching and never-ending.

“It’s like a stone in a pond,” he said, “the hole disappears, but the ripple effects go on and on.”

The director of the southwest Minnesota chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, Meuers described the anger he lived with for years — and the help he received through therapy. He shared that and more as part of a five-person panel of victim-survivors at a recent conference organized by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

More than 60 people listened — most of them also victim-survivors gathered for a day especially set aside for them. They nodded in recognition or teared up in empathy and understanding as Meuers and others on the panel discussed broken but healing families, difficulties forging lasting relationships and struggles with their faith.

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.

Priest: No Communion for R.I. lawmakers who supported abortion law

WEST WARWICK (RI)
Providence Journal

February 1, 2020

By Katherine Gregg

The Rev. Richard Bucci, pastor of the West Warwick church where a lawmaker’s sister has said she was sexually molested repeatedly as a child by a now-dead priest, marked the anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision by issuing a flier listing the names of every Rhode Island legislator who voted last year to enshrine the right to an abortion in state law.

Father Bucci’s flier was handed out to his parishioners at Sacred Heart Church last Sunday. The lawmakers’ names appeared below this message:

“In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2000 years, the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion, as are all the officers of the state of Rhode Island, as well as Rhode Island’s members of Congress. In addition, they will not be allowed to act as witnesses to marriage, godparents, or lectors at weddings, funerals or any other church function.”

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.

Investigative report shines light on culture of sexual assault, rape in Amish communities

PENNSYLVANIA
York Daily Record

January 16, 2020

By Shelly Stallsmith

Amish men in communities around the U.S. have helped to continue a culture of sexually assaulting their daughters, sisters and employees, according to an investigative report by Cosmopolitan magazine and Type Investigations.

More than three dozen Amish people were interviewed for the story that was posted this week. Reporters also talked to members of law enforcement, judges, attorneys, outreach workers and scholars in seven states, including Pennsylvania, that have Amish populations.

Read the entire Cosmopolitan story here.

The stories were similar.

Girls as young as nine were being inappropriately touched and raped by family members, neighbors and church leaders. When confronted, the men confessed and were punished by the church.

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.

February 1, 2020

How a woman from Wells helped expose a paedophile bishop scandal

WELLS (ENGLAND)
Somerset Live

February 2, 2020

By Anna Gladwin

Peter Ball sexually abused teenagers and young men over decades

A woman from Wells was among the individuals who helped expose a dark secret in the Church of England, a television programme has revealed.

A BBC documentary, Exposed: The Church’s Darkest Secret, recounted the decades of sexual abuse carried out by former Bishop of Gloucester Peter Ball, who was the subject of a shocking cover up by the Church of England.

Teenager and novice monk Neil Todd was the first victim to tell senior clergy about Peter Ball’s sex crimes.

Among Ball’s sickening actions, he would sleep naked with his victims, watch them take cold showers and strip them naked to beat them, the documentary explained.

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.

Rome priest returns to active ministry; diocese ‘unable to substantiate’ sexual abuse allegations

ROME (NEW YORK)
WSYR-TV

February 1, 2020

[VIDEO]

Allegations of child abuse against a Rome priest are not credible, according to a review board with the Syracuse Catholic Diocese.

Reverend Paul Angelicchio has returned to active ministry as pastor of Saint John the Baptist Church and Transfiguration Church in Rome.

He was placed on leave in November of 2019 while allegations accusing him of sexual abuse from 1980-1981 were being investigated.

The Syracuse Catholic Diocese released a statement saying that the review board found no evidence to “substantiate” the allegations against Father Angelicchio based on the information available.

Rev. Angelicchio was also accused of alleged sexual abuse in a different lawsuit, but the Onondaga District Attorney’s office found those accusations to also not be credible in August of 2019.

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 Priest Accused of Sexually Abusing Many Children Found in Jefferson County

DITTMER (MO)
MyMOInfo.com

February 1, 2020

A Catholic priest from Dallas, Texas, credibly accused says the Dallas Diocese, of sexually abusing around 50 children, was found and arrested Wednesday in Jefferson County.

78-year-old Richard Thomas Brown was hiding out in the Dittmer area on land owned by the Catholic group “Servants of the Paraclete”.

According to the group’s website, this place, located at 6476 Eime Road, is to “give assistance to priests and brothers with vocational-psychological difficulties”.

This place is also home to several other sex offenders according to the Missouri Sex Offender Registry.

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.

Landmark priest abuse retrial now missing its key witness

PHILADELPHIA
PhillyVoice.com

February 1, 2020

The first US church official ever imprisoned over priest abuse complaints will soon be retried in court without a single victim.

A landmark 2011 case first began the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, 69, who was eventually convicted of “felony child endangerment” for his time working as a secretary for the clergy at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Twice, Lynn’s conviction has been overturned. Now, a retrial is set for March 16, but the key witness may not be called this time.

The key witness is an accuser who alleges he was assaulted by two priests and his sixth-grade teacher in the late 1990’s. These priests transferred to the accuser’s parish by Lynn, known to be a threat and marked as “known predators” by the Monsignor.

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.

French cardinal is acquitted of sex abuse coverup as country faces its own legacy of pedophilia

VATICAN CITY
Religion News Service

January 31, 2020

By Claire Giangravé

The French appeals court has acquitted Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon of charges that he failed to report sexual abuse cases.

In 2017, Barbarin was charged and later convicted for not reporting the abuse of a minor, which resulted in a six-month prison sentence. His was the most high-profile case of a member of the Catholic hierarchy to be tried and sentenced for sexual abuse coverup.

The prosecutors accused Barbarin of not reporting the notorious paedophile Bernard Preynat, who was convicted in July for sexually abusing up to 45 young Boy Scouts under his care in the diocese of Lyon. The Catholic Church removed him from the clerical state, meaning Preynat is no longer a priest.

On Thursday, an appeals court acquitted Barbarin.

Lyon is an important diocese in France, overseeing more than 1.2 million Catholics, and traditionally a stepping stone for becoming a cardinal and occupying other prestigious positions.

The victims who accused Barbarin of covering up abuse plan to appeal the matter to France’s highest court, the Court de Cassation. Victims may also present the case before the European Court of Human Rights. In either case, a final decision over Barbarin’s guilt or innocence may not be made for several years.

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.

Bill sponsored by Sen. Crider could enable more sex crimes prosecutions

GREENFIELD (IN)
Greenfield Reporter

January 31, 2020

By Jessica Karins –

A new bill sponsored by Greenfield’s representative in the Indiana State Senate could allow more adult victims of childhood sex crimes to seek justice — but it would create narrower conditions for prosecution than its author originally envisioned.

Current law requires prosecutions for sex crimes perpetrated against child victims to commence before the victim is 31 years old. The change would create exemptions to that rule if law enforcement finds DNA evidence of a crime; discovers a recording that provides evidence of a crime; or if a perpetrator confesses to a crime. This would apply to cases that occurred in the past, which could be revived if no charges were filed at the time.

The bill was amended after committee discussion from its original version, which would have entirely removed the statute of limitations for such crimes.

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Judge allows AP to be heard in dispute over Saints emails

NEW ORLEANS (LA)
Associated Press

January 31, 2020

By Jim Mustian

A judge ruled Friday that The Associated Press may be heard in a court dispute over whether to release hundreds of confidential emails that detail the New Orleans Saints’ behind-the-scenes public relations work to help area Roman Catholic leaders deal with a sexual abuse crisis.

The news organization filed a motion urging the release of the emails, which surfaced in a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of New Orleans but remain confidential, calling them a matter of public interest. That request was opposed by the archdiocese and the Saints, who argued the communications were private.

Judge Ellen Hazeur of Orleans Parish Civil District Court agreed the emails were of “public concern” and ordered a special master to determine next month whether the documents should be made public. That hearing was scheduled for Feb. 20.

Mary Ellen Roy, an attorney for the AP, told reporters after the hearing that Louisiana law is clear on the issue of whether the news organization may be heard in court. She called the emails “an issue of extraordinary interest” for the heavily Catholic community, adding it’s also “important for the victims and advocates.”

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Illness prompts former Catholic Diocese leader John Myers to return to Peoria

PEORIA (IL)
Peoria Journal Star

February 1, 2020

By Nick Vlahos

The former leader of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria has returned to his former home. Under unfortunate circumstances, apparently.

Ill health has prompted John Myers, the archbishop emeritus of Newark, N.J., to remain in the Peoria area after a recent visit.

A recent statement from Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the current Newark archbishop, noted Myers’ physical and mental health have suffered serious declines.

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

Former Macomb County Priest Accused Of Abuse Bound Over For Trial

LANSING (MI)
WWJ Radio

February 1, 2020

A former Macomb County priest accused of sexual abuse has been bound over for trial.

Neil Kalina waived his rights to a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Macomb County District Court. He’s scheduled to be arragined Feb. 10 on two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a person between the ages of 13 and 16. The incidents reportedly occurred in 1984.

Kalina was also originally charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a person under 13-years-old. However, after further investigation and the discovery of new information, the Attorney General’s office dismissed those charges.

When the assaults reportedly occurred, Kalina was a priest at St. Kieran Catholic Church in Shelby Township. He also worked in Sterling Heights and Utica. Kalina is believed to have provided the victim with alcohol and drugs.

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.

Members of the Sinaloa Cartel besieged the Culiacan Cathedral for the wedding of the daughter of “El Chapo”

HERMOSILLO (MEXICO)
Mexico News Daily

February 1, 2020

Read original article

According to Reforma, the guests are presumed to be Ovid Guzman, brother of the bride. The Mass was officiated by a priest close to the Guzmán Loera family, although this corresponds to the Diocese of Culiacán – said Diocese is directed by Bishop Jonás Guerrero Corona, former private secretary of Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera and who has sounded as alleged protector of pedophile priests

The mass was held behind closed doors, and both suspected members of the Sinaloa Cartel and family members isolated the area with yellow tape to prevent curious people from approaching the temple. Outside the cathedral, you could see luxurious black and white trucks.

According to Reforma, the guests are presumed to be Ovid Guzman, brother of the bride. The Mass was officiated by a priest close to the Guzmán Loera family, although this corresponds to the Diocese of Culiacán – said Diocese is directed by Bishop Jonás Guerrero Corona, former private secretary of Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera and who has sounded as alleged Protector of pedophile priests.

The reception took place in a luxurious social events hall known as “Álamo Grande”, owned by a Sinaloan businessman named Antonio Sosa.

Photos and video leaked on social networks that show that Guzmán Salazar appeared on the altar in a princess-cut wedding dress, hair collected and adorned with a tiara.

In the Instagram account “Chica Picosa 2” they published some images and videos of the party on the occasion of the wedding of the daughter of “El Chapo”, who also owns the clothing and beer brand sold with the brand his father’s.

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.

How Policies Of The Jehovah’s Witnesses Keep Child Sexual Abuse From Police

UNITED STATES
Oxygen.com

January 31, 2020

From clergy-penitent privilege to disfellowshipping, here are the findings of a five-year investigation into the child abuse policies of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

(This story was produced by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit news organization. Get their investigations emailed to you directly by signing up at revealnews.org/newsletter.)

For decades, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have claimed a legal right to keep reports of child sexual abuse by members of their congregations secret from police.

Attorneys for the religion argue that when congregation leaders learn of child sexual abuse, those reports are considered confidential spiritual communications — like a priest hearing a confession — even when the report comes from the victim.

The Montana Supreme Court agreed with the Witnesses’ this month, overturning a $35 million court judgement and allowing the Witnesses to avoid accountability for their decades-long practice of keeping child sexual abuse allegations from police and prosecutors in certain states where the Witnesses have determined they have the legal right to withhold.

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Abuse accuser testifies against ex-Santa Cruz priest

SANTA FE (NM)
Santa Fe New Mexican

January 31, 2020

By Phaedra Haywood

Marvin Archuleta’s accuser’s voice quavered as he described in graphic detail being given punch and cookies before being raped at the age of 6 by the man he is “110 percent sure” was the former Santa Cruz priest.

But Archuleta’s defense attorney, Ryan Villa, challenged the witness’s certainty during cross-examination Friday in District Court, reminding him that he’d answered with less conviction when asked to identify the priest during a deposition for his civil case in 2017.

The man — whom The New Mexican is not identifying because he says he is the victim of sexual assault — said the picture of Archuleta he was shown during the deposition depicted the priest clean shaven without his glasses on.

When Archuleta, now 82, assaulted him during the 1986-87 school year, the man said, the former priest was unshaven and wearing glasses.

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Alexander Brunett, Seattle archbishop who oversaw expansions amid burgeoning sex-abuse scandal, dies at 86

SEATTLE (WA)
Seattle TImes

January 31, 2020

By Lewis Kamb

Alexander Brunett, an assertive, retired archbishop of the Seattle Archdiocese who led an aggressive expansion of schools, parishes, charities and scholarships as a clergy sex-abuse scandal exploded into public consciousness, died in Seattle on Friday. He was 86.

Brunett, who grew up in a large family in Detroit and eventually ascended from a parish priest to bishop, retired after 13 years as Seattle’s fourth archbishop in 2010. His health had declined since a stroke in 2013 left him partially paralyzed, and since suffering head trauma during a fall in April, church officials said.

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Music performance allows contemplation on sex abuse crisis

NEW YORK (NY)
National Catholic Reporter

February 1, 2020

Composer starts with Margaret Gallant’s 1982 letter

In 1982, Margaret Gallant wrote a four-page letter to the late Cardinal Humberto Medeiros of Boston, professing her love for the Catholic Church, and expressing her anger for its failure to protect seven boys in her family who were abused by a priest. The letter laid bare the church’s efforts to systematically cover up clerical sex abuse and later became an important document in the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” investigation into sexual abuse cover up.

Years later, Gallant’s letter takes center stage once again in composer Craig Shepard’s, “Broken Silence.” A musical contemplation, “Broken Silence” is is about 80 minutes long, intended to combine words and music for listeners on the subjects of abuse and corruption.

The Jan. 8 performance at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York begins with silence. Musicians sit in a circle at the center of the theatre, surrounded by the audience. Before beginning the performance, Shepard carefully scans the room, gauging his audience and making eye contact with them. He then starts reading Gallant’s letter, which is set to the music of steel string acoustic guitar and saxophone. The performance is peppered with meditative pauses. Audience members seem to slip into a meditative mood.

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.