ABUSE TRACKER

AUSTRALIA
Catholic Herald

June 9, 2020

A series of emails falsely claiming to be sent from Catholic institutions have been denounced by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC) as “offensive, unChristian and, in some cases, defamatory”.

The contents of the defamatory emails typically concern Cardinal George Pell’s convictions, the role of the complainant in his criminal trial, the spread of coronavirus pandemic and, in recent cases, the upcoming July 4 Eden-Monaro by-election.

Fr Stephen Hackett, ACBC general secretary, said: “It is deeply regrettable that a number of people are being maligned in these emails, which seem designed to attack Cardinal Pell, Witness J, the Catholic Church and now even politicians.”

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.

INDIA
Pgurus.com

June 12, 2020

By Sahil Mishra

Savio Rodrigues separates the faith from the organisation that the Church has become and highlights the corruption that has permeated into it. The faith is under pressure because of the allegations of sexual abuse and the harsh treatment meted out to those who highlight them. A must watch!

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.

CLEARWATER (FL)
Tampa Bay Times

June 11, 2020

By Tracey McManus

Originally filed last year in Miami-Dade circuit court, the case was transferred to Pinellas County in May and dropped June 5

A woman has dropped the lawsuit she filed last year against the Church of Scientology that alleged she was repeatedly sexually abused as a child in Scientology’s care, including as a kindergartner at the church’s Clearwater Academy.

The woman, named as Jane Doe in court records, filed her complaint in Miami-Dade circuit court in September, becoming the third lawsuit lodged against Scientology and its leader David Miscavige in 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.

UNITED STATES
SNAP

June 11, 2020

Four people have been added to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Review Board. Rather than bring on outsiders, every single person named has close ties with their local diocese, something we do not think bodes well for the efficacy of this review board now and into the future.

Especially concerning is the fact that several of the new members come from dioceses that have lagged behind the rest of the nation when it comes to transparency and accountability. For example, one of the new members, Steven Jubera, works on the review board for the Diocese of Jackson, MS, a diocese that has come under national scrutiny for its unequal treatment of black survivors and which did not release any information on accused clerics until March 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.

NEW ZEALAND
Stuff.co.nz

June 13, 2020

By Mandy Te

Mike Ledingham, who was abused as a child by a Catholic priest, has renewed faith in the Royal Commission in charge of investigating abuse cases in state and faith-based care.

Ledingham and his brothers, Chris and Gerry first spoke out in 2002 about the sexual abuse they experiencedand, while he’s still dealing with his demons, the 70 year old is encouraging other survivors to come forward.

“When you have been abused and cover it up and you see what the Church does, you get a bit jaded and your soul is jaded.

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.

INDIA
UCA News

June 11, 2020

By Saji Thomas

Former judge sends a legal notice to church authorities seeking removal of a Karnataka bishop

A retired Catholic high court judge has sent a legal notice to church authorities seeking the removal of a bishop, accusing him of crimes such as murder, corruption and moral turpitude, among others.

Former Justice Michael F. Saldanha alleged that Bishop Kannikadass Antony William of Mysore in Karnataka state was responsible for the deaths of four priests, two of them suspected to be murdered.

The legal notice, a copy of which has been released to media, was sent to Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) president Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore. Mysore is a suffragan diocese of Bangalore.

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.

PITTSBURGH (PA)
SNAP

June 11, 2020

A new lawsuit has been filed on behalf of nine brave survivors (eight living, one deceased) who allege abuse at the hands of seven different priests from the Diocese of Pittsburgh. We applaud these brave survivors for coming forward and hope that they are finding support and comfort on their healing journey.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of these nine victims accuse seven different priests – all of whom were named in the 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report – of abuse. Each of these survivors deserves praise for coming forward and sharing their painful stories in an effort to secure justice and help prevent future cases of abuse. We are grateful to 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.

JAMAICA (NY)
Queens Eagle

June 11, 2020

By David Brand

A former scoutmaster and teacher at a Greek Orthodox school in Jamaica has now been sued twice for sexually abusing kids in the 1970s and 80s.

The latest complaint, filed Tuesday in Queens Supreme Court, accuses former St. Demetrios Jamaica Day School teacher Lawrence Svrcek of “sexually assaulting, abusing and molesting” a student throughout 1978 and 1979. The plaintiff was in seventh grade when the abuse occurred, according to his attorney, Eric Siegle.

Svrcek has been sued at least one other time under the Child Victims Act, a 2019 law that enables survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil complaints against their abusers and the institutions that enabled them regardless of when the abuse occurred.

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)
Crux

June 12, 2020

By Christopher White

Following a decision by Wyoming prosecutors not to charge retired Bishop Joseph Hart for sexual abuse against minors, his alleged victims are looking to the Church’s canonical process as a last chance for the 88-year-old prelate to be brought to justice.

As first reported by the Kansas City Star on Tuesday, and confirmed by Crux on Wednesday, a Wyoming witness coordinator informed one of Hart’s accusers that the prosecutor would not advance the case, citing insufficient evidence. This comes nearly two years after the Diocese of Cheyenne deemed the allegations from the same individual to be credible in 2018.

In a statement on Thursday, Bishop Steven Biegler, the current bishop of Cheyenne, said he stands by the diocese’s determination and noted that Hart’s case is still under review in Rome.

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.

SPRINGFIELD (IL)
WICS/WRSP

June 11, 2020

Catholic Charities of Springfield has sent an amicus brief for a Supreme Court case.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois, the case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, focuses on whether a religious organization can demand government contracts to provide child welfare services while they do not comply with LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination requirements.

The amicus brief discusses how the state of Illinois terminated Catholic Charities’ foster care services after the organization declined to assess and qualify same-sex couples as foster parents, although they agreed to refer the same-sex couples to DCFS offices who can provide these services or refer them to other private agencies that could.

According to the amicus brief, Catholic Charities of Springfield acted as a foster care agency from 1965 to 2011. In 2011, while the organization was serving about 325 foster children, the state terminated its services following the enactment of the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act.

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.

TRENTON (NJ)
The Trentonian

June 12, 2020

By Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman

The Diocese of Trenton is facing numerous lawsuits alleging it failed time and again to prevent the sexual abuse of children.

These civil-action complaints in Mercer County Superior Court are a microcosm of the widespread sex abuse scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.

“It’s an epidemic in the Catholic Church, and it has been going on for centuries,” attorney John W. Baldante told The Trentonian in an interview. “The Catholic Church has largely ignored this behavior.”

Baldante represents at least 10 plaintiffs in lawsuits accusing the Diocese of Trenton of negligence, saying the institution failed to provide a safe environment and protective culture to children and other parishioners within the churches, sacristies, schools, rectories and other facilities overseen by the diocese.

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 DELHI (INDIA)
Catholic News Service via Crux

June 12, 2020

A retired Catholic high court judge has sent a legal notice to church authorities seeking the removal of a bishop, accusing him of crimes such as murder, corruption and moral turpitude, among others.

Ucanews.com reported that former Justice Michael F. Saldanha alleged that Bishop Kannikadass William Antony of Mysore, India, was responsible for the deaths of four priests, two of whom were suspected to have been murdered.

The legal notice, a copy of which was released to media, was sent to Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, and Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore. Mysore is a suffragan diocese of Bangalore.

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.

[Próvolo: hearings will resume for the second trial]

MENDOZA (ARGENTINA)
Unidiversidad.com

June 12, 2020

GOOGLE TRANSLATION, FOLLOWED BY ORIGINAL IN SPANISH:

It will be on Tuesday the 16th, as confirmed by the plaintiff Oscar Barrera. 9 people are charged, including two religious.

Justice will resume on Tuesday the 16th the preliminary hearings of the second trial for the abuses in the Próvolo Institute, in which nine people are accused, among them the nuns Kumiko Kosaka and Asunción Martínez. The resumption of the process was confirmed to Unidiversidad both from the press office of the Judiciary and by one of the complainants, Oscar Barrera.

After three months of restricted activity in Courts as a result of the mandatory quarantine, the parties were notified of the resumption with a new preliminary hearing of the process, which will take place on June 16 at 8:30 on a semi-face-to-face basis.

Será el martes 16, según confirmó el querellante Oscar Barrera. Están imputadas 9 personas, entre ellas dos religiosas.

La Justicia reanudará el martes 16 las audiencias preliminares del segundo juicio por los abusos en el Instituto Próvolo, en el que están imputadas nueve personas, entre ellas las religiosas Kumiko Kosaka y Asunción Martínez. La reanudación del proceso fue confirmado a Unidiversidad tanto desde la oficina de prensa del Poder Judicial como por uno de los querellantes, Oscar Barrera.

Luego de tres meses de restringida actividad en Tribunales a raíz de la cuarentena obligatoria, las partes fueron notificadas de la reanudación con una nueva audiencia preliminar del proceso, que se concretará el 16 de junio a las 8.30 de forma semipresencial.

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.

CHEYENNE (WY)
Kansas City Star

June 11, 2020

By Judy L. Thomas

[VIDEO: ‘I couldn’t imagine that a man that I loved this much could do something so evil.’ Susie McClernon is still dealing with the trauma of the sexual abuse her youngest brother, Kevin Hunter, suffered years ago. Hunter died in 1989.]

A Wyoming prosecutor’s decision not to file child sexual abuse charges against a former Kansas City priest who later became Bishop of Cheyenne doesn’t mean the alleged victims were not credible, the leader of that state’s Catholics said Thursday.

“I commend the victims who have spoken courageously about their abuse,” said Bishop Steven Biegler, head of the Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne, in a strongly worded statement. “I also stand behind the determination made by the Diocese of Cheyenne that allegations of sexual abuse against former Bishop Hart are credible.”

Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen in Casper, Wyoming, could not immediately be reached for comment. Cheyenne is in Laramie County, but Itzen was appointed as special prosecutor in the case because of a conflict of interest within the Laramie County District Attorney’s office.

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
Law360

June 11, 2020

By Rick Archer

A New York federal judge has rejected a pair of Roman Catholic dioceses’ challenge to a U.S. Small Business Administration rule barring coronavirus relief loans to bankrupt businesses, saying the agency was within its rights to deny them $2.8 million in loans.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford rejected the arguments by the bankrupt Catholic dioceses of Buffalo and Rochester, New York, that the SBA had no legal grounds for its rule denying Paycheck Protection Program loans to organizations in Chapter 11, saying the agency is under a legal requirement to make sure its loans are likely to be repaid.

The PPP, created under March’s coronavirus relief package, is an SBA-administered program that offers loans of up to $10 million from third-party lenders to firms with 500 or fewer employees to cover their costs while they are shuttered by local COVID-19 shutdown orders.

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
America

June 11, 2020

By Michael J. O’Loughlin

President Trump posted a tweet on June 10 saying he was “so honored” by a letter written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former Vatican ambassador to the United States who, in a series of missives in recent years, has blamed the church’s sexual abuse crisis on gay priests, accused Pope Francis of championing schism and called for the pope to resign because of his alleged mishandling of abuse allegations against former Cardinal Thedore McCarrick.

What did Archbishop Viganò say in his letter to President Trump?

On June 6, LifeSiteNews, a Catholic website that covers “culture, life, and family,” posted a public letter that Archbishop Viganò wrote to President Trump. In the three-page letter, dated June 7, the archbishop expresses his belief in a number of conspiracy theories, including the existence of a “deep state” opposing Mr. Trump from within the U.S. federal government and a “deep church” comprised of “children of darkness”; a belief that the Covid-19 pandemic response represents “a colossal operation of social engineering”; and the notion that recent anti-racism protests in the United States evoke “the Masonic ideals of those who want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches.”

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.

PITTSBURGH (PA)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

June 11, 2020

By Peter Smith

Nine plaintiffs filed suit Wednesday against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, alleging past sexual abuse by seven of its priests.

The lawsuit was filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas by eight individuals and the estate of a ninth, all identified by initials. They are represented by Harrisburg attorney Benjamin Andreozzi, who has previously represented plaintiffs in numerous sexual-abuse lawsuits against Catholic dioceses.

The lawsuit accuses the diocese of fraud, conspiracy, fraudulent concealment, breach of fiduciary duty. Also named as defendants are churches of the diocese where the accused priests worked.

All seven priests accused of abuse in the lawsuit were named in the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report into sexual abuse in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and five other Catholic dioceses.

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 Daily Beast

June 10, 2020

By Pilar Melendez

As an 11-year-old chosen to train under legendary swim coach Andrew King, Debra Grodensky believed she was destined to become an Olympic star. However, by 15, she had quit the sport out of fear following years of disturbing alleged sexual assault by King that culminated in her coach, then 37, asking her to marry him.

“My sexual abuse was 100 percent preventable,” Grodensky, 51, said on Wednesday as she filed a lawsuit against USA Swimming. “I believe my life trajectory would have been drastically different if USA Swimming did not have a culture that enabled coaching sexual abuse. It was that culture that allowed Andy King to abuse me for years without consequence.”

Grodensky was one of six women to file a series of lawsuits against USA Swimming on Wednesday, alleging the governing body ignored signs of sexual abuse by former U.S. Olympic coach Mitch Ivey and several other staff members in a decision that cultivated a culture of abuse for decades.

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. LOUIS (MO)
KSDK

June 10, 2020

By Kayla Wheeler

The protest was held outside Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) held a protest Wednesday morning in response to the new St. Louis archbishop-elect.

On Wednesday it was announced that Pope Francis had named Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski as the 11th bishop and 10th archbishop of St. Louis.

SNAP has criticized Rozanski for refusing to name three priests who had been suspended after allegations of sexual abuse in Massachusetts.

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.

SAINT LOUIS (MO)
SNAP

June 3, 2020

A critical vote to advance reforms aimed at curbing cases of clergy sexual abuse was delayed when the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention was canceled. While we recognize that the spread of COVID-19 has caused plans nationwide to change, we also recognize that “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and believe that the SBC should use alternative means in order to have this needed vote and continue the work of preventing cases of sexual violence within the SBC.

As Ashley Easter said during this year’s virtual “For Such a Time as This” rally, no substantive change has occurred in the SBC since a massive exposé into cases of sexual violence and cover-up within the church was published. This scheduled vote would not have brought the needed change that survivors and advocates have been asking for, but it at least would have been a step in the right direction. By abandoning the vote without a plan to move forward, it seems that the SBC is content to just ignore the issue, as they ignored the problem of racism for so many 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.

NEW ZEALAND
RNZ

June 11, 2020

Marist College students are accusing their school of racism after they say staff took down Black Lives Matter posters they had put up.

At least one student took her allegations to the board. It met last night, and in a statement said there would be a formal investigation into the concerns raised, and the Catholic diocese would also mediate between the school and students.

The principal has not specifically responded to Checkpoint’s requests for an interview. The Auckland Catholic Diocese has also been approached for comment.

Its Vicar of Education, Catherine Ryan, said they wished to support the students and staff in resolving the current issues.

She said until they have had the opportunity to listen to the concerns raised it was not appropriate for her to comment.

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.

LONDON (ENGLAND)
Independent Catholic News

June 11, 2020

By Diana Fawcett

Victim Support has been awarded the contract to manage Safe Spaces, a joint Anglican and Catholic project to provide a vital support service for survivors of church-related abuse. This leading national charity, well known for its specialist services and work with people affected by crime, abuse and traumatic events, was awarded the contract following a competitive process.

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.

RICHMOND (VA)
SNAP

June 9, 2020

The Diocese of Richmond has announced investigations into four former priests following allegations of child sexual abuse. We call on Catholic officials in Richmond to do outreach at every parish where these men worked so that other victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers will be encouraged to come forward.

According to a release from diocesan leaders in Richmond, the four former priests are:

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
Canberra Times

June 12, 2020

By Terry Fewtrell

Australia’s Catholic bishops seem to have learned little from the sexual abuse scandal and its associated cover-ups. Pushed by a royal commission report to implement reforms, they recently reverted to standard operating procedures of delay and secrecy in suppressing a major report on governance reform. While hoping to delay and control discussion, the bishops were outmanoeuvred by the leaking of the highly significant report. It will now be available to and discussed by all Catholics – as it should be.

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.

BROOKLYN (NY)
SNAP

June 4, 2020

A second man has come forward to accuse a prominent Brooklyn bishop of child sexual abuse. We applaud this survivor for coming forward and call on Cardinal Dolan to immediately remove the bishop from his position while the allegations are investigated.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio was first accused of abuse in a lawsuit filed in November 2019, where it was alleged that he had abused a boy while he was a priest in Jersey City. This latest allegation is also related to DiMarzio’s time in New Jersey and alleges that Samier Tadros was abused at age 6 at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City. We are grateful to Mr. Tadros for coming forward and potentially helping to protect others from abuse.

This latest lawsuit comes as Bishop DiMarzio is already under investigation by the Vatican, but we believe that the best information will come from an investigation by external, secular law enforcement officials. Currently, New York A.G. Letitia James is investigating cases of clergy abuse and we hope this latest news will bring more survivors forward to her office and draw investigator’s attention to the situation in Brooklyn.

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
Insurance Journal

June 11, 2020

By Randall Chase

The judge presiding over the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy has approved an agreement among attorneys to extend an injunction halting child sex abuse lawsuits against the organization’s 261 local councils until Nov. 16.

Under the agreement approved this Monday, local councils wanting continued protection from litigation must sign agreements by July 6 requiring them to provide information to the Boy Scouts about their finances, including real estate holdings, for sharing with creditor committees.

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.

WASHINGTON (DC)
The Tablet

June 11, 2020

By James Roberts

They are dismissed as further evidence of the fondness of Americans for cults and conspiracies. But the followers of the enigmatic Q are said to include close advisers to President Trump – and some on the conservative fringes of the Catholic Church

In August 2018, during Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former Vatican nuncio in Washington D.C., published an 11-page “testimony” claiming that Francis and several American cardinals and archbishops had teamed up over the years to cover up sexual abuse by clerics, and in particular had failed to address the crimes and misdemeanours of Theodore McCarrick, who had been appointed as Archbishop of Washington D.C. in 2001 in spite of several warnings about his behaviour.

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.

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
SNAP

June 4, 2020

Three priests from the Catholic Diocese of Springfield have been temporarily removed from their positions following allegations of abuse. We call on the Diocese to release the names of those clerics to the public and for church officials to do outreach to any victims who may still be suffering in silence

The Diocese also announced that, since July of last year, fourteen people have come forward to allege abuse at the hands of a priest, including the three recently removed from ministry. While this information is helpful and will hopefully encourage more survivors to come forward, what is not helpful is how cagey Catholic officials are being about the details.

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.

BALTIMORE (MD)
The Baltimore Sun

June 11, 2020

By Nancy Fenton

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the guilty verdict of John Merzbacher, a former schoolteacher convicted of the rape of Elizabeth Murphy in the 1970s, when she was a student at the Catholic Community Middle School in South Baltimore.

A Baltimore City jury found the teacher guilty in 1994, after Ms. Murphy was an adult, of eight charges of rape and abuse. Following the guilty verdict, prosecutors dropped an additional 100 charges involving 13 other former students, who were prepared to go to trial against Merzbacher. Eventually, he was sentenced to four life sentences plus 10 years. He is now serving time in a Maryland prison.

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 KINGDOM
The Telegraph

June 11, 2020

By Camilla Tominey

The Vice Chancellor has been asked to intervene after Christ Church insisted that The McDonald Centre remove all references from its website

An ongoing row between the Dean of Christ Church and Oxford University dons has escalated following the college’s attempts to distance itself from a theological foundation headed up by one of the Dean’s staunchest allies.

The university’s Vice Chancellor has been asked to intervene after Christ Church insisted that The McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics & Public Life remove all references to Christ Church from its website, including the centre’s logo, which has the appearance of the college’s famous Tom Tower.

The centre is headed up by Professor Nigel Biggar, a vocal supporter of the Very Rev Martyn Percy, who presides over the prestigious college and the cathedral.

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 ANTONIO (TX)
St. Mary’s University

June 11, 2020

Thomas M. Mengler, J.D., President of St. Mary’s University joined as one of four new members appointed to serve on the National Review Board (NRB) by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The NRB advises the bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and was established as part of the Charter for Protection of Children and Young People, a comprehensive set of procedures established and adopted by the U.S. bishops in 2002 to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy.

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.

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
Daily Hampshire Gazette

June 10, 2020

By Scott Merzbach

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, who in his six years leading the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield has spearheaded reforms aimed at confronting the fallout from clergy abuse and overseen continued reorganization and consolidation of churches, will depart to become the archbishop of St. Louis this summer.

On Wednesday, Pope Francis announced that Rozanski, 61, would succeed Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, who is retiring after turning 75.

In an introductory event at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Rozanski referenced the “good people of Springfield” and how grateful he was for their welcome and collaboration with them since 2014.

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.

GUAM
SNAP

June 5, 2020

Once again, Catholic officials are suing the government over the payroll protection plan (PPP) loan program. We suggest that, rather than sue the government, these church leaders should offer some creative incentives that would help protect the vulnerable in exchange for being considered for funding.

The Archdiocese of Agana in Guam is suing the Small Business Administration after being denied a loan. We suggest that, in order to increase their viability to receive such a loan, that they should take several immediate steps.

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.

ROCHESTER (NY)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

June 11, 2020

By Gary Craig

A federal judge has ruled that the federal Small Business Administration was in its rights to refuse pandemic-related loans to the Catholic Dioceses of Rochester and Buffalo.

The two dioceses wanted $2.8 million in emergency Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loans. The Rochester diocese planned to request $1.1 million and Buffalo $1.7 million.

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 JERSEY
Newark Star-Ledger

By Mark Crawford

As citizens from every corner of this nation rightfully raise their voices crying out against grave injustices is it not clear that abuse of power, lack of transparency and the failure to hold accountable those who abuse their trust inflicts immeasurable harm on the fabric of our society? One need not look far to see some parallels between recent national protests and the Catholic church’s sexual abuse scandal; sacred institutions betrayed the trust of the people they are here to protect and serve.

For the better part of two decades, victims of sexual abuse pleaded with state lawmakers to fix New Jersey’s outdated statute of limitation laws. Several bills came and went as our New Jersey Catholic bishops hired high powered lobbyists and their own arsenal of attorneys from the Catholic Conference to oppose such measures at every opportunity.

Finally, in 2019, the state greatly expanded rights for both child and adult victims of sexual assault and provides a two-year window for victims of past abuse to have recourse. The passage of that bill provided one of the best laws in the country ensuring victims once locked out of our courts would now have access to our justice system. It also enabled victims to hold accountable all the institutions that had hid or harbored known predators or failed to protect new victims from those who would prey upon the young.

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
An Essay for the Faithful (blog)

June 5, 2020

As we navigate this period of intense pain, heartache, anger, and frustration across our nation, I wanted to offer a positive message to my Catholic brothers and sisters whose faith is being challenged in these moments.

I don’t have any good answers when it comes to ending systemic racial atrocities and socio-economic injustices. I am not qualified to offer advice on keeping your families, your loved ones, or your livelihood safe during a global pandemic. I am no intellectual and I am not a moral authority on any subject. I am a sinner – just like everyone else.

The one thing I can offer at this moment is that I can speak to the legitimate concerns expressed by many of the Faithful with regard to the pace, integrity, and rigor of the Vatican’s investigation of Theodore McCarrick. Many of us have waited a long time to receive all of the details, while at the same time knowing those details would be painful to hear.

I am aware of the public statements made by multiple members of the College of Cardinals several months back that suggested that the Vatican’s report on McCarrick’s career would be imminently forthcoming. Naturally, these statements served to raise expectations and it is clear now that the report has taken longer than anyone expected. I don’t believe any of those Cardinals were trying to mislead anyone. I just think they believed that what they were saying was true.

I say that because early this year, persons tasked by the Holy See with investigating McCarrick’s career reached out to me directly, as well as to several of the other Nathans, and asked us if we would be willing to provide facts and information to help ensure the accuracy of the report and to contribute to its findings.

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
Catholic News Agency

June 10, 2020

An anonymous alleged sexual abuse victim of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick says he and other alleged victims have been working with the Vatican to fact-check the comprehensive dossier on McCarrick’s misdeeds.

The alleged victim, writing under the name Nathan Doe, says he was one of several minors that McCarrick abused, and that he had previously collaborated with Church authorities to provide evidence during the canonical penal administrative process which resulted in McCarrick’s 2019 laicization.

He says early in 2020, “persons tasked by the Holy See with investigating McCarrick’s career” reached out to him and several other alleged victims to ask if they would be willing to provide facts and information to ensure the report’s accuracy.

“Time will tell, but nothing in my experience thus far indicates any type of cover-up or attempt to minimize anything by anyone involved in the Holy See’s investigation,” Doe writes in a June 5 blog post.

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.

WASHINGTON D.C.
Catholic News Service via National Catholic Reporter

June 10, 2020

The National Review Board, the all-lay group that monitors dioceses’ performance in dealing with sexually abusive clergy and creating a safe environment for children throughout the church, has four new members.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced the appointments June 10.

The new members are:

— Vivian M. Akel, a retired clinical social worker; she volunteers as safe environment coordinator for the Maronite Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn, New York.

— James Bogner, retired senior executive special agent for the FBI; he also serves on the Archdiocesan Advisory Review Board and Ministerial Conducts Board for the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska.

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.

BALTIMORE (MD)
Baltimore Sun

June 11, 2020

By Nancy Fenton

[PHOTO: Former sexually abused students of John Joseph Merzbacher and some of their family members stand in support two years ago to keep Merzbacher in prison after the sexual abuse that took place 40 years ago at the Catholic Community Middle School in Locust Point.]

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the guilty verdict of John Merzbacher, a former schoolteacher convicted of the rape of Elizabeth Murphy in the 1970s, when she was a student at the Catholic Community Middle School in South Baltimore.

A Baltimore City jury found the teacher guilty in 1994, after Ms. Murphy was an adult, of eight charges of rape and abuse. Following the guilty verdict, prosecutors dropped an additional 100 charges involving 13 other former students, who were prepared to go to trial against Merzbacher. Eventually, he was sentenced to four life sentences plus 10 years. He is now serving time in a Maryland prison.

I clearly remember the breaking news of the guilty verdict. The small TV on my kitchen countertop was turned on. I was tinkering in the kitchen, while my young daughter played at the table. A jury member commented on Liz’s overwhelming testimony and the consideration of the facts presented to the jury. I was stunned by the news, knowing deep in my heart that there was still so much to tell about the terror inflicted by just that one person.

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.

WASHINGTON (DC)
National Catholic Reporter

June 9, 2020

By Carol Zimmermann

The Texas Supreme Court agreed June 5 to review an appeal by the Diocese of Lubbock over a former deacon’s defamation lawsuit against it.

The suit, which lower courts said could proceed, sought more than $1 million in damages from the diocese claiming it had falsely included the former deacon in its published list last year of clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

Jesus Guerrero filed a defamation lawsuit last March, two months after all 15 dioceses in the state published lists of clergy members and deacons with credible abuse allegations.

In a response filed with the Lubbock District Court last April, the diocese said it was seeking dismissal of the suit calling it an ecclesiastical matter that civil courts couldn’t interfere with.

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. LOUIS (MO)
KSDK

June 10, 2020

By Ashley Cole, Kelsi Anderson

Archbishop-elect Rozanski currently serves as Bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts

Pope Francis has accepted the retirement of St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson.

He has named Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski as the 11th bishop and 10th Archbishop of St. Louis.

“I am honored to have served as leader of the Archdiocese of St. Louis for more than a decade,” said Archbishop Carlson in a press release. “This large and generous community of faithful Catholics will continue to encourage me in my faith journey, and I know that Bishop Rozanski will cherish his new ministry. I am confident in the future of God’s strong Church in St. Louis with Archbishop-elect Rozanski as its shepherd.”

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.

FRANCE
ChurchMilitant

June 9, 2020

By Christine Niles

Bishop Fellay broke civil and canon law

A priest of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) sentenced to 19 years in prison for the sadistic rape of three women — one he tortured with knitting needles and scissors — was protected by Bp. Bernard Fellay, in violation of French law.

The case of Fr. Christophe Roisnel shocked the conscience of the French nation in 2017, when news broke of his criminal trial for rape of three teachers — one of them a mother — at the Notre-Dame de la Sablonnière academy in Goussonville, near Paris, where he had been director of the school since 2006. While reports of his crimes exploded in French media at the time, his story has had almost no coverage in English-language media.

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.

HAWAII
Hawaii Catholic Herald

June 10, 2020

By Patrick Downes

In the United States, accusations of sexual abuse by clergy are to be reported to the local bishop. But what if it’s the bishop himself who is the problem?

The answer is the national Catholic Bishop Reporting Service.

Begun March 16, the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting (CBAR) is a third-party service that collects and reports to appropriate church authorities bishops who have committed sexual abuse or who have interfered with a civil or church investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by another cleric or religious.

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.

CASPER (WY)
Casper Star Tribune

June 9, 2020

By Seth Klamann

Retired Catholic bishop Joseph Hart will not face criminal prosecution over an allegation that he sexually abused at least one boy in the 1970s, the alleged victim in the case told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday.

It’s the second time the former cleric, who has been accused by more than a dozen men of sexual abuse over a period of decades, has been investigated and not charged by Wyoming prosecutors.

The Natrona County District Attorney’s Office told the alleged victim on Monday there was “insufficient evidence” to support charging Hart, who was the auxiliary and later full bishop of the Catholic flock in Wyoming from 1976 to 2001, the accuser said. The conclusion comes 26 months after the Cheyenne Police Department began a criminal investigation into Hart that resulted in the agency recommending the retired bishop be charged.

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.

LUBBOCK (TX)
KXAN

June 10, 2020

By Avery Travis

The Texas Supreme Court is set to decide whether a clergy member, credibly accused of sexual abuse, can sue his church for defamation.

Following calls for more transparency from Pope Francis and the Catholic Church in 2019, all Roman Catholic dioceses in Texas published lists of names of clergy members who were credibly accused of sexual 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.

MICHIGAN
WSJM

June 10, 2020

A motion has been filed for the Michigan Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a negligence lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. The high court had decided not to hear the case. The suit accuses the diocese of negligence in the sexual abuse of then 15-year-old Brendan Boman by a tutor at Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids. Boman’s attorney, Ven Johnson, spoke with Michigan News Network.

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.

CASPER (WY)
Casper Star-Tribune Via Wyoming News Exchange

June 10, 2020

By Seth Klamann

Retired Catholic bishop Joseph Hart will not face criminal prosecution over an allegation that he sexually abused at least one boy in the 1970s, the alleged victim in the case told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday.

It’s the second time the former cleric, who has been accused by more than a dozen men of sexual abuse over a period of decades, has been investigated and not charged by Wyoming prosecutors.

The Natrona County District Attorney’s Office told the alleged victim on Monday there was “insufficient evidence” to support charging Hart, who was the auxiliary and later full bishop of the Catholic flock in Wyoming from 1976 to 2001, the accuser said. The conclusion comes 26 months after the Cheyenne Police Department began a criminal investigation into Hart that resulted in the agency recommending the retired bishop be charged.

“On one hand there was disbelief, but on the other hand was just like, ‘Well, yeah,’” the alleged victim told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday, describing the conversation with the prosecutor’s office. The victim’s allegations were substantiated and deemed credible by the Diocese of Cheyenne in July 2018. “In the back of my mind, that was always an outcome. I never thought it was a slam dunk. But there’s a certain bitter resignation that comes with saying, ‘OK, there it goes, that’s just how it is.’ I can’t believe it.”

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
The Guardian

June 10, 2020

By Harriet Sherwood and Roz Scott

BAME vicar and trainee priest claim discrimination has blocked their church careers

Church of England bishops have been accused of “utter hypocrisy” for publicly supporting the Black Lives Matter movement while failing to address racism in their dioceses.

Two men from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, a vicar and a trainee priest, claim discrimination has blocked their efforts to advance within the C of E hierarchy.

The Rev Alwyn Pereira was rejected for seven posts as a vicar in the diocese of Bristol before he discovered a letter on his personal file saying there were “cultural differences in the way people like Alwyn communicate, and actually handle issues of truth and clarity”.

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. LOUIS (MO)
Associated Press

June 10, 2020

Pope names St Louis archbishop to replace retiring Carlson

The newly-appointed head of the Archdiocese of St. Louis vowed Wednesday to be an agent of healing, as the region and the nation continue to react to the death of George Floyd and the threat of the coronavirus.
The Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Francis had appointed Springfield, Massachusetts Bishop Mitchell Rozanski to lead the St. Louis diocese, replacing Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, who is retiring.

“This is a troubled time for our nation,” Rozanski said during a news conference in St. Louis. “We”re still experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 virus, the death of Mr. George Floyd and the sad spectacle of racism that tears at the very fabric of our country. … It is my hope that called to lead this church of St. Louis, God”s grace will be in abundance in helping me to be part of that healing process and resolution to all the daunting issues that we face.”

The appointment drew immediate criticism from advocates for victims of priest sexual abuse. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests chastised Rozanski for not releasing the names of three accused predator priests in the Springfield, Massachusetts, who were suspended last week.

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.

MUMBAI (INDIA)
Mid-Day.com

June 7, 2020

By Gaurav Sarka

Legal notice sent to Bishop of Mysore for sexual misconduct, priest deaths and illegal transfers; Archbishop of Bengaluru also named for covering up his crimes

Former Justice of the Bombay High Court Michael F Saldhana has accused the Bishop of Mysore KA William of “letting loose a virtual reign of terror” in the Diocese of Mysore, and accused his immediate superior, the Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Peter Machado, of “colluding with him and covering up even for murders”.

Justice Saldhana made these accusations in a formal legal notice that was sent to both the clerics, on May 29. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) President Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who is also the Archbishop of Bombay, was copied on it. “Following the deaths of four priests (two murders, one hanging and one so-called accident) the Bishop of Mysore has let loose a virtual reign of terror in the Diocese,” read the notice. “He has used the underworld mafia and protection from the local police… it has already resulted in as much as 23% of the Catholic Laity leaving the church. For the last one year, this man has been asked to leave, but he defiantly carries on terrorising,” the notice further stated.

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)
Buffalo News

June 9, 2020

By Jay Tokasz

A federal bankruptcy judge will soon decide whether hundreds of lawsuits against Catholic parishes and former parishes, schools and other entities in the Buffalo Diocese should be blocked from moving forward in state courts.

The diocese’s Chapter 11 filing in February immediately stopped lawsuits against the diocese from advancing as it goes through a reorganization.

In May, the diocese asked Chief Judge Carl L. Bucki of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of New York to extend that same protection to more than 400 Catholic parishes, schools and other entities that also have been named as defendants in Child Victims Act cases.

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)
Kansas City Star

June 9, 2020

By Judy L. Thomas

After an investigation spanning two years, authorities in Wyoming are not filing criminal sex abuse charges against a former Kansas City priest who later became Bishop of Cheyenne, one of the alleged victims said Tuesday.

The man, who grew up in Cheyenne and now lives on the East Coast, said the witness coordinator in the Natrona County District Attorney’s office told him that Bishop Joseph Hart would not be prosecuted because of insufficient evidence.

“I think I am a little bit numb,” said the man, whose allegations were deemed credible by the Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne in 2018. “Six people have come forward in Wyoming. What is the remedy for child sex abuse, then, if you don’t believe the victims and you’re not willing to take it to trial?

“The thing that I’m now hoping is that the Vatican will strip him of his priesthood while he’s alive.”

Hart, who served as Bishop of Cheyenne for 23 years, could not be reached for comment. Over the years, he has categorically denied all allegations against him. In 2018, he told a Star reporter who knocked on his door that “I’ve been told not to talk, but you could call my lawyer.” He was on oxygen at the time but said, “I feel fine. Doing great.” Then he closed the door, which bore a plaque that said, “Peace to all who enter here.”

If charged, Hart, 88, would have become the highest-ranking Roman Catholic cleric in the country to face criminal prosecution for sexual abuse of a minor.

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
BBC News

June 10, 2020

Richard Swinnerton has resigned from his job at St Clare’s Catholic Primary School

A deputy headteacher at a primary school has been charged with possessing child abuse images.

Richard Swinnerton, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, faces three counts, relating to category A, the most severe, and categories B and C.

The 30-year-old, who has resigned from his job at St Clare’s Catholic Primary School in Middlesbrough, will appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 10 July.

The charges do not relate to his work at the school, its headteacher 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.

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
MassLive.com

June 10, 2020

By Patrick Johnson

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, head of the Springfield Diocese since 2014, has been named archbishop for the St. Louis Diocese, the diocese announced Wednesday morning.

Rozanski has been tapped by Pope Francis to succeed Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson who is retiring. His installation is planned for March 25.

Rozanski is scheduled to be introduced to St. Louis at 11 a.m. Wednesday in a news conference that will be carried live over the Archdiocese of St. Louis page on Facebook.

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.

SPRINGFIELD (MA)
MASS Live/Special to The Republican

June 9, 2020

By Anne-Gerard Flynn

The Most Rev. Mitchell Rozanski, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, will hold a prayer service for racial healing Friday, June 12, at 5 p.m. at St. Michael’s Cathedral, 254 State. St.

The May 25 police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis, has sparked global protests and violence over the murder that involved four officers and has brought calls for reforms from a variety of sectors to address decades of systemic racism.

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.

BALTIMORE (MD)
WMAR

June 8, 2020

The parents of five children have filed a lawsuit against the Glen Mar United Methodist Church’s Early Learning Center and the school’s former director, alleging there children were allowed to be sexually abused by a former employee in 2019.

Filed in Howard County Circuit Court, the lawsuit claims the Howard County Police Department and State’s Attorney’s Office closed the case without thoroughly investigating.

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.

RICHMOND (VA)
Daily Press

June 9, 2020

By Dave Ress

Allegations of sexual abuse of Hampton Roads children by four retired or inactive priests are now under review by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.

None of the four are currently serving in active ministry, the diocese said Monday. None have served in the diocese in recent years.

The diocese has not reached any conclusions about the allegations, though it has informed civil authorities about 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.

CANADA
CBC News

June 8, 2020

By Thomas Rohner

Details from more than 30 cases described in 2 letters to RCMP complaints commission

WARNING: Details in this story may be disturbing to some readers.

Inuit in Nunavut, especially women, suffer systemic police abuse, including excessive violence and persistent racism, according to the territory’s legal aid agency.

The Legal Services Board of Nunavut says it has “significant concerns” about the quality of policing and conduct of officers as reported by its Inuit clients in Nunavut’s 25 communities.

The board is calling for a systemic review of policing in Nunavut.

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.

RICHMOND (VA)
The Associated Press

June 9, 2020

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond announced it has begun reviewing child sexual abuse allegations made against four former priests in Virginia.

“While the alleged incidents are from the past, we recognize the pain is still a deep and present reality for victim survivors of abuse and for their loved ones,” Bishop Barry C. Knestout said in the statement released Monday.

An allegation has been made against Fr. William Dinga while he served at Norfolk’s Christ the King Catholic Church in 1986, the statement said. Dinga, who was ordained as a priest a

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.

RICHMOND (VA)
WDBJ7/Catholic Diocese of Richmond Release

June 9, 2020

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond has begun a review into allegations of child sexual abuse involving four retired or inactive priests.

The diocense said none of the accused priests is currently, or has recently served, in active ministry, and won’t as long as the investigations are underway.

The four priests named in the allegations are:

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
Fox34

June 8, 2020

The Texas Supreme Court will hear a defamation lawsuit out of Lubbock. It’s Jesus Guerrero’s case against the Catholic Diocese.

In January 2019 the church sent media outlets a list of clergy credibly accused of sexually assaulting children.

Guerrero’s name was on it, the church claims, because he was credibly accused of assaulting a woman with a mental disability. Under Cannon Law, she is considered a minor.

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
Catholic News Service

June 9, 2020
.
By Kevin J. Jones

The Texas Supreme Court will hear the Diocese of Lubbock’s appeal of a legal decision allowing a former deacon to sue the diocese for defamation for including his name on a list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse.

“We are committed to transparency for the trust and safety of the members of our parishes,” Bishop Robert Coerver of Lubbock said June 8. “At a time when many religious messages are being shared digitally, courts must protect churches’ ability to communicate effectively with their members.”

“Churches should not be punished for doing the right thing,” Montse Alvarado, vice president and executive director at the legal group Becket, said June 8. “Clergy hold a unique position of trust within their communities, and churches should be free to notify members and other affected individuals when clergy violate that trust. That is true even when the warning goes beyond the four walls of the church building.”

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.

DEWITT (MICHIGAN)
Lansing State Journal

June 8, 2020

By Megan Banta

Two religious orders deny any knowledge of sexual abuse by a former Franciscan brother living in DeWitt who is now named in two lawsuits.

Martin Rusnak filed a lawsuit in New Jersey earlier this year naming Kurt Munn as an abuser and saying religious leaders enabled Munn for decades.

In the legal complaint filed in Mercer County, Rusnak says Munn started abusing him in the 1970s.

That abuse has left Rusnak “unable to live a normal life,” the lawsuit says.

Rusnak is the second man to name Munn as his abuser in a lawsuit. About two months before Rusnak filed his complaint, Todd Kostrub — who Rusnak identifies as a former neighbor — named Munn as his abuser in a lawsuit also filed in Mercer County.

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.

AUCKLAND (NEW ZEALAND)
WAATEA News

June 9, 2020

An Auckland man who was abused as a child by his parish priest is urging anyone with similar stories to tell them to the Royal Commission on Abuse in State Care and Religious Institutions.

Mike Ledingham says the late Father Frank Green set up gymnastics and other activities in his Onehunga parish in the late 1950s to get close to children he then abused.

The former soldier says he kept quiet about his experience because of the social conditions at the time, but it affected his schooling and subsequent approach to life and he later discovered two of his brothers were also abused by Green, along with at least 30 other children.

Mr Ledingham says it’s important to find if New Zealand had the same level of paedophilia in the Catholic church as was uncovered by the Australian Royal Commission.

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.

RICHMOND (VA)
Catholic Diocese of Richmond

June 8, 2020

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond announced today (June 8), it has begun a review into allegations of child sexual abuse involving four retired or inactive priests.

None of the accused priests are currently serving in active ministry, nor have they recently served in ministry for the diocese. The diocese has not reached any conclusions regarding these allegations, rather this statement serves to announce the beginning of its inquiry into the allegations. Until this inquiry concludes, the accused are not deemed to have committed the acts alleged.

At the same time, Bishop Knestout acknowledges it takes great courage to come forward to report allegations of this nature. “While the alleged incidents are from the past, we recognize the pain is still a deep and present reality for victim survivors of abuse and for their loved ones,” said Bishop Barry C. Knestout. “We continue to pray for their healing and for their loved ones who support 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.

RICHMOND (VA)
CBS19 News

June 8, 2020

The Richmond Catholic Diocese says it is reviewing allegations against four retired or inactive priests.

According to a release, the allegations involve child sexual abuse, but none of the accused priests are currently serving in active ministry and they have not recently served in ministry for the diocese.

“While the alleged incidents are from the past, we recognize the pain is still a deep and present reality for victim survivors of abuse and their loved ones,” said Bishop Barry Knestout. “We continue to pray for their healing for their loved ones who support 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.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Episcopal News Service

June 8, 2020

[Diocese of Upper South Carolina] The Rt. Rev. W. Andrew Waldo on June 6 announced plans to retire at the end of 2021 and called for the election of the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina. The Standing Committee of the diocese gave their consent to both announcements.

Waldo has led the diocese since 2010. He was elected by diocesan lay leaders and clergy in December 2009, and was consecrated and installed the following May.

“In the coming months, we will have ample opportunity to reflect on the important work have we have done together in God’s gracious hands,” Waldo said in a pastoral letter to the diocese. “We have learned much about how to be in deeper dialogue on difficult issues, like same-sex blessings/marriage and racial reconciliation. We have built relationships to support public education through parish-school partnerships and advocacy. We have worked to create and live into norms of transparency and mature discipleship across the Diocese. We have changed the face of the college of clergy within the Diocese, now having one of the highest percentages of women in charge of congregations in the Episcopal 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.

DALLAS (TX)
CBSDFW

June 1, 2020

A former Arlington pastor was sentenced to 24 years and five months in federal prison on Monday for sexual exploitation of a child.

Brett Jarad Monroe, 39, former associate pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Arlington pleaded guilty in January to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

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.

BROCKWAY (PA)
wcednews

June 3, 2020

The Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, bishop of Erie, has announced that Msgr. Charles Kaza, pastor of St. Tobias Parish, Brockway, has been reinstated to active ministry.

Members of the parish were notified during Mass on Sunday that Msgr. Kaza will return to his assignment as their pastor effective today, June 1.

Consistent with diocesan policy, Msgr. Kaza had been removed from active ministry and placed on administrative leave on May 13, 2019, as the result of an allegation of abuse made against him.

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
Catholic Voice

June 5, 2020

By Denis O’Brien

The recent release of the unredacted reports of the Royal Commission concerning the archdiocese of Melbourne and church authorities in Ballarat enables an assessment to be made of the behaviour of Cardinal Pell who as a younger man served in the church hierarchy in both places. Does the Commission’s narrative provide a basis for levelling against him the kind of criticism that has rightly been made of other church leaders who failed to deal appropriately with child sexual abusers? I suggest it does not.

The Ballarat report is mainly concerned with the response of church authorities to abuse perpetrated at Christian Brother schools in the diocese and to abuse perpetrated by certain priests of the diocese. The report discusses Pell’s involvement with Christian Brother offenders, Fitzgerald and Dowlan. Complaints were made about Fitzgerald when Pell was an assistant priest at Ballarat East in 1973. The main complaints concerned Fitzgerald taking grade 3 boys to an annual camp where they swam naked and his practice of kissing boys as they left school for the day. Pell heard about this behaviour. However, the Royal Commission accepted his evidence that he had no jurisdiction over the Christian Brothers. It also concluded that “it was not unreasonable for Father Pell, as a diocesan priest, to believe it was not for him to raise the conduct of Brother Fitzgerald with the provincial”.

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.

WYOMING
SNAP Network

June 8, 2020

Despite two separate investigations and the recommendations from local police to file charges, Wyoming prosecutors have yet to take any steps forward. We call on the district attorney of Natrona County to make a public update on the case, explain his office’s delay in filing charges, and immediately take steps that can help prevent future cases of clergy sexual abuse.

In August 2019, Cheyenne police first announced a recommendation of charges against former Bishop Joseph Hart, but the local district attorney, Dan Itzen, asked that police reopen the investigation to interview more potential witnesses. Seven months later, in March 2020, police in Cheyenne, WY wrapped up that second investigation into Bishop Hart. Despite that second investigation finishing in a similar manner to the first, D.A. Itzen has yet to pursue charges.

We believe Mr. Itzen owes it to the public – and to the law enforcement officials who investigated the allegations against Bishop Hart – to explain why he has yet to take any action on those investigations. As of this writing, at least 17 different people have alleged abuse by the Bishop and the investigations into alleged abuse in Wyoming represent not only the best shot at justice for those victims but also a chance to prevent future abuse from occurring.

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.

CONWAY (NC)
BR

June 5, 2020

By Seth Brown

Jayson Rowe died from apparent suicide as police investigated sex crime allegation

North Carolina pastor Jayson Rowe died by apparent suicide on June 2, according to the Conway Police Department (CPD). Law enforcement officers were investigating an allegation of criminal sexual misconduct against Rowe when they received a call about his death, a spokesperson told the Biblical Recorder.

Officers responded to the call immediately and attempted resuscitation, CPD said. The medical examination and investigation reports are forthcoming.

Rowe, 40, had been the pastor of Conway Baptist Church since 2018.

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)
AP

June 4, 2020

The Roman Catholic bishop of Brooklyn, already under a church investigation for alleged sex abuse, has been accused by a second man of abuse in the 1970s, when the bishop was a parish priest in New Jersey.

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.

BARTOW (FL)
The Ledger

June 6, 2020

By Suzie Schottelkotte

A Sarasota man is suing former Winter Haven priest Fred Ruse on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated in Polk as a teenager. Ruse has denied the accusations.

A Sarasota man is suing a former Winter Haven priest on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated as a teenager at Demilly Correctional Institution near Polk City.

In the lawsuit, filed in Polk Circuit Court, the man states that he initially met with the Rev. Fred Ruse, then pastor at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winter Haven, at the prison to receive communion in 2001 and 2002. They met privately in the chaplain’s office and in classrooms at the prison, the lawsuit states.

Ruse, now 70, began bringing gifts to the teenager, including Harry Potter books, according to the lawsuit.

“As (the teenager) began to place increasing trust in their relationship, Ruse used these opportunity to fondle (the teenager)…,” the lawsuit states. “The sexual contact then progressed to Father Ruse giving oral sex to (the teenager) and receiving oral sex from (him.)”

At the time, Ruse was not chaplain at the prison, which closed in 2012.

“Although these encounters occurred in a secure detention center, Father Ruse was allowed to meet privately with (the teenager) due to his status as a clergyman,” the lawsuit states.

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

DARLINGTON (UK)
The Northern Echo

June 6, 2020

By Andrew White

A PRIEST who was suspended from a North-East church last year has appeared in court charged with raping a woman 34 years ago.

John Anthony Clohosey, 71, is accused of carrying out the attack on or about January 1, 1986, in Gateshead.

Rev Clohosey was suspended from duties of Our Lady Immaculate and St Cuthbert’s RC Church, in Crook, County Durham, late last year.

Parishioners had been told the news in a special service by the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, but were not told the reasons.

The Diocese said it was cooperating with Northumbria Police to assist with their investigation.

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.

GAYLORD (MI)
ChurchMilitant

June 8, 2020

By David Nussman

Moves to parish in another state

A priest who was punished for blowing the whistle on a vicar general is now returning to active ministry.

Father Matthew Cowan, a priest in the diocese of Gaylord, Michigan, complained of sexual harassment by then-vicar general Fr. Dennis Stilwell — filing the complaint in August 2018. Father Cowan went public with the allegations in December 2018, citing the diocese’s failure to act on his claims.

In response to his going public, Gaylord’s Bp. Steven Raica put Fr. Cowan on paid administrative leave in January 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.

UNITED STATES
Psychology Today

June 8, 2020

By Rosemary K.M. Sword and Philip Zimbardo Ph.D.

The Bystander Effect has contaminated our nation, including law enforcement

In the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, a man from the ancient city of Samaria sees another man in pain lying in the road. Many people ignored the man and passed him by; but the Samaritan stopped to help him. He followed The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In a perfect world, we would all help one another in times of need. We would perform the altruistic act of assistance, without expecting anything in return, or considering unintended consequences. And ideally others would stop and help us if we were in need of assistance.

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
Religion News Service via Oakland Press

June 7, 2020

By Adelle M. Banks

Since the beginning of 2019, Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear has been among the most high-profile advocates for preventing sex abuse and protecting victims of abuse in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

Greear, pastor of The Summit Church, a megachurch in Durham, N.C., called for Southern Baptist leaders to investigate and oust churches that cover up abuse.

He set up an advisory group of experts to aid the SBC in dealing with the issue of abuse, helping create a “Caring Well” initiative to prevent abuse and minister to survivors.

Greear also led a litany of lament during the SBC’s 2019 annual meeting

“The failures of the way of man brought us to the place we are as a denomination on this issue of abuse,” Greear said at the meeting. “It is only the movement of God, we know, that can rescue us from it. It’s not just policy. It’s not just statements and changes. It’s the spirit of God working in us.”

Now advocates for abuse survivors are criticizing Greear after his church decided to hire a teaching pastor who has been accused of mishandling an abuse claim in the past and for a Summit Church policy that would allow registered sex abusers to attend worship services.

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
Tab Media

June 7, 2020

A new database of Baptist sex abusers is now online.

Baptistaccountability.org is based on sexual abuse survivor advocate Christa Brown’s stopbaptistpredators.org, which she managed from 2006 to 2012, and the Houston Chronicle’s “Abuse of Faith” series and database, an exposé published in 2019. The database is managed by Megan and Dominique Benninger, who brought to light their former pastor’s record as a convicted child molester after the leadership of their Pennsylvania church failed to disclose it.

Third party databases only highlight the need for a sanctioned SBC database, Brown said. Most cases of sexual abuse are never criminally prosecuted, meaning many predators are simply able to “church-hop” with no accountability.

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.

LINCOLN (ENGLAND)
BBC News

June 3, 2020

The Bishop of Lincoln will face disciplinary proceedings in relation to a safeguarding inquiry.

Bishop Christopher Lowson, who was suspended last year, faces allegations he “failed to respond appropriately to safeguarding disclosures”.

The Church of England said there was no allegation the bishop “committed abuse of a child or vulnerable adult”.

Officials also confirmed the bishop’s suspension would continue.

At the time of his suspension, the Church of England commissioned an investigation to consider whether the bishop would “present a significant risk of harm by not adequately safeguarding children and vulnerable people, if the matters were found to be proven”.

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.

LAKELAND (FL)
The Ledger

June 6, 2020

By Suzie Schottelkotte

A Sarasota man is suing former Winter Haven priest Fred Ruse on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated as a teenager. Ruse has denied the accusations.

Bartow – A Sarasota man is suing a former Winter Haven priest on allegations of sexual abuse while the man was incarcerated as a teenager at Demilly Correctional Institution near Polk City.

In the lawsuit, filed in Polk Circuit Court, the man states that he initially met with the Rev. Fred Ruse, then pastor at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winter Haven, at the prison to receive communion in 2001 and 2002. They met privately in the chaplain’s office and in classrooms at the prison, the lawsuit states.

Ruse, now 70, began bringing gifts to the teenager, including Harry Potter books, according to the lawsuit.

“As (the teenager) began to place increasing trust in their relationship, Ruse used these opportunity to fondle (the teenager)…,” the lawsuit states. “The sexual contact then progressed to Father Ruse giving oral sex to (the teenager) and receiving oral sex from (him.)”

At the time, Ruse was not chaplain at the prison, which closed in 2012.

“Although these encounters occurred in a secure detention center, Father Ruse was allowed to meet privately with (the teenager) due to his status as a clergyman,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit, filed by Fort Lauderdale lawyer Adam Horowitz, alleges the abuse took place on multiple occasions.

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.

RICHMOND HILL (ONTARIO, CANADA)
Richmond Hill Liberal

June 4, 2020

By Sheila Wang

School will be named Our Lady Queen of the World Catholic Academy

Jean Vanier Catholic High School has a new name.

York Catholic District School Board announced June 4 the school will be named Our Lady Queen of the World Catholic Academy, replacing its former name due to sex abuse allegations against its namesake, Jean Vanier.

“The York Catholic District School Board remains steadfast in its belief that sexual assault and sexual exploitation are unacceptable behaviours that will not be tolerated,” board chair Maria Marchese said in a news release.

The Catholic school board decided to rename the Richmond Hill school back in February when revelations about L’Arche founder Vanier surfaced and shocked the local community.

L’Arche International released the report Feb. 21, revealing accusations he engaged in “manipulative sexual relationships” that took place under “coercive conditions” from 1970 to 2005.

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.

ROCHESTER (NY)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

June 5, 2020

By Steve Orr

A former Rochester schoolteacher, was allowed to remain in the classroom for years after being accused of sexually abusing a student, has been sued by the young man who accused him two decades ago.

The boy’s mother reported the alleged abuse to the administration at her son’s elementary, Henry Hudson School 28, shortly after it took place, according to news reports from that era.

The principal reportedly told her that the teacher, David Heil, would be removed from service. But he was not. School officials also failed to inform child protective services or the police, as the law may have required, according to the news reports.

The boy’s mother happened to visit another city elementary school six years later and discovered Heil was teaching there. She called police, and Heil was subsequently charged, convicted and sent to prison.

The case was one of several in which Rochester school officials have been accused of failing to act on sexual abuse allegations.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in state Supreme Court in Monroe County, is the 14th brought against the Rochester City School District under provisions of the Child Victims Act. The act allows the revival of old child sexual abuse claims that had been blocked by New York’s statute of limitations.

Heil, who no longer teaches in the city, is the fifth Rochester school district employee to be accused in a CVA suit.

Only New York City’s massive school district has had more employees named in CVA suits, and only New York City and a suburban Buffalo school district have been sued more often than Rochester for alleged sexual abuse of its students.

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.

ANAHEIM (CA)
Orange County Register

June 2, 2020

By Scott M. Reid

NCAA says it will ask a federal judge to dismiss a class action suit filed by three former track athletes who allege they were sexually abused and harassed by their college coach

Olympic high jumper Erin Aldrich was not surprised when she read the NCAA’s latest response to the lawsuit she and two other track and field athletes filed against the organization.

Frustrated, yes, but not surprised.

The NCAA, facing a potential landmark class action lawsuit, said it has no legal obligation to protect student athletes against sexual abuse and harassment, according to a filing in U.S. District Court Northern District of California.

“You don’t expect a coward to come out and take responsibility,” Aldrich said. “They’ve basically responded sadly in the way they’ve responded for years.”

The NCAA in the filing also said it will ask Judge Edward J. Davila in July to dismiss the suit in which Aldrich and former Texas track athletes Jessica Johnson and Londa Bevins allege the NCAA has helped create a national sexual abuse epidemic by choosing not to implement rules or impose sanctions that would require member schools to take steps to prevent and report abuse by coaches and deter perpetrators.

“We aren’t hoping for change here. We are demanding change from the NCAA,” Aldrich 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.

BROOKLYN (NY)
Brooklyn Eagle

May 29, 2020

By Rob Abruzzese

The Child Victims Act, the law that gave sexual abuse survivors a one-year window to sue for abuse they suffered past the statute of limitations, was officially extended on Wednesday by the State Legislature.

Advocates said that the extension was necessary as the COVID-19 pandemic had shut down the courts to all but emergency and essential applications, which limited the ability of victims to sue. The current bill extends the law for another year, but still needs to be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take effect.

“The passage of the Child Victims Act remains one of the most historic victories for child abuse survivors in New York State, and the COVID pandemic nearly prevented countless survivors from ensuring accountability — but today’s vote proves that nothing can stand in the way of justice,” said James R. Marsh, a New York attorney who represents more than 700 childhood sexual abuse survivors statewide.

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.

BINGHAMTON (NY)
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin via Press Connects

June 5, 2020

By Anthony Borrelli

A former Seton Catholic student’s lawsuit under New York’s Child Victims Act accuses a former basketball coach there of sexually abusing him more than two dozen times in the early 1970s.

The lawsuit filed May 28 in the state Supreme Court of Broome County claims coach Vincent Dutkowski, who died in 2012, used his position to gain the victim’s trust and confidence before abusing him.

In 1972, the lawsuit says, the 14-year-old boy enrolled at the former Seton Catholic High School in Endicott. When he was about 14 to 16, he helped out as a ballboy and assistant during basketball practices.

Dutkowski allegedly used those encounters to sexually abuse the teen on approximately 25 occasions and at different locations, including an office and at Dutkowski’s home, according to the lawsuit. The victim now resides in California.

Seton Catholic Central in Binghamton and the former Seton Catholic High School in Endicott are defendants in the lawsuit, along with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse. The former Seton Catholic and Catholic Central high schools merged in 1976.

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.

WASHINGTON (DC)
Catholic News Service

June 4, 2020

By Mark Pattison

As daily protests over the death of George Floyd while in the custody of a Minneapolis police officer have spilled over into some of the United States’ largest cities and roiled the nation, a chaplain to several law enforcement agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area said, “At this point, at this time, at this juncture, black lives matter.”

Father Jayson Landeza, a priest of the Diocese of Oakland, California, says he makes that declaration because “these are the ones who are being profoundly affected by police brutality.”

The last three parish assignments of Father Landeza, who is of Filipino, Irish and Hawaiian heritage, have been to parishes whose membership is 90% or more African American. Growing up in the Bay Area, he said, “I can think of all the times I was call ‘Jap,’ called the N-word and worse because I was with a bunch of African American kids.”

Father Landeza — a chaplain to the Oakland Police, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, two smaller police forces nearby, plus the regional branch of the FBI, the Secret Service and other federal agencies — said that “San Francisco Bay Area cops have a good relationship with the communities” they serve.

“The people I work with in law enforcement are good people,” he told Catholic News Service. “There’s not a cop I know that’s not deeply and profoundly offended by what happened in Minneapolis.”

He said the bad actions of a few African Americans should not stereotype all African Americans. In the same way, he added, “you can’t paint this broad picture of Catholic priests vis-a-vis sex abuse, with cops’ abuse vis-a-vis violence.”

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.

En 2018, López Valdés fue sentenciado a 63 años de prisión después de ser encontrado culpable por abuso de menores

El cura Carlos López falleció tras contagiarse de Covid-19 en la cárcel, quien pagaba una condena por el delito de abuso sexual contra menores.

De acuerdo con el abogado del cura, Carlos López adquirió la nueva enfermedad por la falta de control sanitario persistente en los reclusorios del país.

La salud del cura sentenciado por abuso se agravó al contraer el nuevo virus, pues tenía antecedentes de diabetes.

El sacerdote Carlos López falleció a los 73 años a causa de Covid-19, confirmó personal del Reclusorio Sur.

López presentó problemas para respirar desde el pasado miércoles 3 de junio, razón por la que fue trasladado a la Torre Medica de Tepepan, donde tuvo que ser intubado.

Tras permanecer dos días intubado, falleció

En 2018, López Valdés fue sentenciado a 63 años de prisión después de ser encontrado culpable por abuso de menores.

En 2007, Jesús Romero interpusiera una demanda contra el cura, la cual derivó en la detención de Carlos López hasta 2016.

Jesús Romero era monaguillo de la Parroquia de San Agustín de las Cuevas, al sur de la ciudad, cuando el sacerdote comenzó a abusar de él.

La sentencia fue considerada como “histórica” por ser la primera contra un cura pederasta en Ciudad de México.

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.

MORRISTOWN (NJ)
Associated Press

June 5, 2020

A Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of a New Jersey statute that gives victims of sexual abuse more time to sue.

The 2019 law waived the statue of limitations and allowed victims to file civil suits until they are 55, or seven years after they discover they were abused.

Judge Peter Bogaard of Morris County ruled against two arguments submitted by attorneys for Delbarton School, a catholic school in Morristown, NJ Advance Media reported. A man only identified in the suit by his initials alleges that he was sexually assaulted by former monk Richard Lott at Delbarton and that the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, which runs the school, did nothing.

Lott’s attorney, Brian Mason, said “the allegations made against my client are vehemently denied and we look forward to vindication at trial.”

The Order of St. Benedict has denied the allegations in court

Attorneys for Delabarton argued that the statute is unconstitutional and that the plaintiff should have to prove he discovered his assault within in the two years allotted before the statue.

Judge Bogaard ruled that the law is constitutional and that it should be applied to all ongoing child sexual abuse cases.

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.

POCATELLO (ID)
KPVI 6 NBC

June 5, 2020

By Seth Klamann

https://www.kpvi.com/news/regional_news/criminal-investigation-into-wyoming-clergy-sexual-abuse-drags-into-third-year/article_9e2d0bde-3e3a-511d-bd08-75b23a10782e.html

The criminal investigation into sexual abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in Wyoming passed its second birthday in April, a prolonged process with no end in sight that has “shattered” an alleged victim’s family’s belief in the criminal justice system.

In August, Cheyenne police recommended that retired bishop Joseph Hart, the highest-ranking member of the Catholic church in Wyoming for 25 years, be charged with sexual abuse. The investigation and the documents detailing the allegations were then turned over to Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen, who will serve as special prosecutor should charges be filed because of a conflict of interest in the prosecutor’s office in Cheyenne.

But nothing has happened since. Itzen has repeatedly declined to comment. Cheyenne police said late last year that Itzen had passed the investigation back to them for some further work, but a police spokesman told the Star-Tribune that Itzen now has the case back.

“We thought things would’ve moved by now,” then-Cheyenne police spokesman Kevin Malatesta said in November.

“I honestly have no answer for you,” current spokesman David Inman said when asked why nothing had happened with the investigation. “The case is in (prosecutors’) hands now. You can try to have their D.A. contact me if you’d like, but there is no answer I or detectives can give you as to why it is being held up.”

Messages sent to Itzen this week were not returned.

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.

PROVIDENCE (RI)
Providence Journal

June 5, 2020

By Brian Amaral

Three alleged priest abuse victims and the state attorney general this week defended the legality of the new deadline to sue over child molestation after the Diocese of Providence argued a key feature was unconstitutional.

The arguments come in response to the Diocese of Providence’s attempt to have the three alleged victims’ lawsuits dismissed from state court.

A 2019 law extended the deadline to sue over childhood sexual abuse from seven years to 35 years after a victim’s 18th birthday. It also retroactively extended that deadline for victims, so they could sue their perpetrator within that time even if their claims had already expired under the old law. The Diocese of Providence argues that that is unconstitutional, pointing to a 1996 state Supreme Court decision.

“They are mistaken,” the attorney general’s office said in a filing Thursday in state Superior Court.

Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office filed an amicus brief in the case after it became clear that the legality of the new law would be a key feature in the legal battle between the three men — Philip Edwardo, Robert Houllahan and Peter Cummings — and the leadership of the Diocese of Providence. Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel is hearing the case.

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.

FERNDALE (MI)
Church Militant

June 3, 2020

By Martina Moyski

Kalisz, Poland – Polish priests have refused to sign letters of loyalty to their diocesan bishop who has been accused of the cover-up of child abuse, choosing instead to stand with the victims.

Priests in the Polish diocese of Kalisz have taken a stand against Bp. Edward Janiak after an incident of child abuse cover-up was exposed in a recent documentary.

The primate of Poland, Wojciech Polak, has also reacted to the revelations of cover-up and has notified the Vatican representative in Poland asking for an investigation.

This case will represent the first one in Poland being processed under the motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi, in which Pope Francis established universal procedural norms for combatting sexual abuse and ensuring that bishops are accountable for their actions.

“I ask priests, nuns, parents and educators to not be led by the false logic of shielding the Church, effectively hiding sexual abusers,” Abp. Polak said in a statement according to Deutsche Welle (DW), a German media outlet. “There is no place among the clergy to sexually abuse minors. We do not allow for the hiding of these crimes.”

The documentary in question is Hide and Seek, produced by Marek and Tomasz Sekielski, and focuses on the abuse of two brothers — Bartek and Jakub Pankowiak — by a parish priest Fr. Arkadiusz Hajdasz in the small town of Pleszew in central Poland. The two brothers were not the only victims, according to the film. The priest is accused of abusing dozens of boys in the 1990s with bishops making multiple attempts to cover up his alleged actions.

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.

CHERRY HILL (NJ)
Cherry Hill Courier-Post

June 4, 2020

By Jim Walsh

Camden – A second man has accused a former bishop of the Diocese of Camden of childhood sexual abuse.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, who now leads the Diocese of Brooklyn, rejected the claim of wrongdoing that dates to the late 1970s.

“There is absolutely no truth to the allegation,” the bishop said Thursday. “I deny this outrageous and libelous claim.”

DiMarzio, who led South Jersey’s Catholics from 1999 to 2003, said he might sue his accusers.

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. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

June 5, 2020

A New York Catholic prelate who is facing multiple allegations of child sexual abuse is lashing out at his accusers publicly, threatening to file a lawsuit against them. We condemn this intimidation tactic and challenge the bishop to fight the allegations on their merits in a court of law.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio – who has been accused by two different men who live in two different states and who have never met nor spoken with each other – is claiming the allegations against him are an “attempt to destroy my name and discredit what I have accomplished” and is threatening to take legal action against the two. In a statement, Bishop DiMarzio said “I have retained counsel and am contemplating filing a lawsuit against those responsible for these accusations, which have no basis in fact.”

This is a shameful response. Bishop DiMarzio should defend himself without attacking his accusers. That is what Cardinal Joseph Bernardin did, and that is what any real shepherd would do. Suing accusers does nothing but intimidate other potential victims, witnesses and whistleblowers into staying silent.

Bishop DiMarzio also wrote that he is “ready, willing, and able to go to trial to defend myself.”

People often say this when accused of a crime. But there is a third option; instead of hiding behind carefully crafted public relations denials OR waiting for trials, accused abusers – if they’re really ‘willing’ to tell their side of the story – could simply hold an open news conference and take questions from professional journalists. In light of Bishop DiMarzio’s repeated pledges to be ‘open’ about abuse cases, we call on him to do this now.

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.

BROOKLYN (NY)
The Tablet

June 4, 2020

By Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I regret to inform you the Archdiocese of Newark has notified me that a second allegation has been leveled by an individual claiming misconduct dating back 40 years. The attorney in both of these matters is Mitchell Garabedian. He is seeking a total of $40 million in these two unsubstantiated allegations.

There is absolutely no truth to either of these allegations. I deny this outrageous and libelous claim. I am contemplating filing a lawsuit against those responsible for these statements, which have no basis in fact. I am ready, willing, and able to go to trial to defend myself.

I have hired Joseph Hayden, an experienced trial lawyer from New Jersey, who has been investigating these claims and has uncovered conclusive evidence of my innocence. We plan to challenge these allegations in court or in any other proceeding. I will never agree to a settlement of these claims.

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)
Catholic League

June 4, 2020

By Bill Donohue

Cardinal George Pell of Australia was recently acquitted of sexually abusing minors, accusations that were totally without foundation from the beginning. In this country, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is now being accused, for the second time, of abusing a minor. In the end, the smart money is on these charges being found as bogus as the ones against Pell.

Last November, attorney Mitchell Garabedian made a big public splash when he said he was going to file suit against DiMarzio for abusing Mark Matzek in the 1970s. But he never did. It was all for show: His goal was to smear DiMarzio’s good reputation. Now Garabedian—whom I have dealt with and found to be unethical—claims he has found another victim, Samier Tadros.

Bishop DiMarzio categorically denies both accusations and his lawyer, Joseph Hayden, says, “We have uncovered conclusive evidence of Bishop DiMarzio’s innocence.” No lawyer, aside from those like Garabedian, would put his name on the line with such an unequivocal statement unless he knew his case was a slam dunk.

Some things just don’t add up. Why would anyone wait a half century to bring a lawsuit? How is it possible that the parents of these boys never knew about it—Tadros says the abuse started when he was 6 years old and happened “repeatedly”—especially given its alleged serial nature?

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.

Publié le 05 juin 2020

Samedi 6 juin 2020

Communiqué de Mgr Michel Santier

Evêque de Créteil

Chers Diocésains de Créteil,

Le Pape Benoît XVI m’a nommé évêque de Créteil le 4 septembre 2007 alors que j’étais évêque de Luçon en Vendée depuis Septembre 2001. Vous m’avez accueilli chaleureusement le 18 novembre 2007 au Palais des sports de Créteil, cathédrale d’un jour, où nous avons célébré chaque année la messe Chrismale.

Nous avons vécu ensemble des joies comme la consécration de la cathédrale déployée le 20 septembre 2015, l’aventure du Synode qui nous invitait à prendre soin les uns des autres et à partager la joie de l’Evangile.
Pendant ces 13 années je me suis totalement donné à ma mission en allant à votre rencontre dans vos secteurs pastoraux, maintenant doyennés, pour les visites pastorales, les confirmations des jeunes.

La visite pastorale des quartiers populaires et surtout la visite pastorale des jeunes ont été pour le cœur d’un évêque un grand bonheur, mais de plus en plus la fatigue se faisait sentir.
J’étais habitué au grand air de la Normandie et de la Vendée ; l’air pollué de la région parisienne ne me convient pas, cela a conduit à des difficultés pulmonaires et les médecins ont diagnostiqué de l’asthme qui a entrainé aussi l’apnée du sommeil.
Voyant que je n’aurai pas les forces physiques pour poursuivre mon ministère parmi vous jusqu’à 75 ans et ayant traversé d’autres difficultés, en fin d’année 2019 après avoir réfléchi, prié et pris conseil, j’ai écrit au Pape François pour lui remettre ma charge d’évêque de Créteil. Il m’a répondu favorablement et a accepté ma démission.

Le nonce Apostolique, Monseigneur Celestino Migliore, dans une rencontre après ma sortie de l’hôpital, m’a transmis la décision du Saint Père et m’a accueilli chaleureusement. Il m’a demandé de m’adresser directement ainsi à vous.
L’épreuve que je viens de traverser n’a pas arrangé les choses. Je me remets bien mais la fatigue subsiste.

Le départ ne sera pas brutal, car je demeure votre évêque jusqu’à la nomination de votre nouvel évêque, cependant je serai plus en retrait, relayé par les vicaires généraux et épiscopaux.
Cette nouvelle vous surprendra mais je compte sur votre compréhension.

Comme Monseigneur Daniel Labille, je continuerai à prier le Seigneur depuis la Normandie pour le diocèse, les prêtres, diacres, consacrés et toutes les familles, les enfants, les jeunes, tous les fidèles laïcs.

Vous m’avez donné beaucoup de joie, gardons la joie d’annoncer la Bonne Nouvelle.

Que le Seigneur vous bénisse.

+ Michel Santier

Evêque de Créteil

Communiqué de Mgr Michel Santier, évêque de Créteil 

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.

DENVER (CO)
Crux

June 4, 2020

By Christopher White

New York – Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is strongly denying a second allegation by attorney Mitchell Garabedian that he abused a minor during his early ministry as a priest and says he is considering filing a defamation lawsuit against Garabedian, whom he says continues to pursue false allegations against him.

“There is absolutely no truth to this allegation. I deny this outrageous and libelous claim,” he said in a statement in response to an Associated Press article on June 4.

The article claims that Samier Tadros, now 46 years old, was “repeatedly sexually abused” by DiMarzio at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City, beginning when Tadros was about six years old.

“This is clearly another attempt to destroy my name and discredit what I have accomplished in my service to God and His people, including my efforts to fight the scourge of sexual abuse,” said DiMarzio’s statement. “I have retained counsel and am contemplating filing a lawsuit against those responsible for these accusations, which have no basis in fact. I am ready, willing, and able to go to trial to defend myself.”

Garabedian said he received a letter from Tadros on March 9, detailing his accusations against DiMarzio after Tadros heard of the previous claim brought forth by Garabedian.

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.

TORONTO (ONTARIO, CANADA)
Canadian Press via CTV News

June 4, 2020

By Jocelyne Richer

Montreal – Sexual assault victims in Quebec will soon be able to pursue justice against their abusers regardless of how long ago crimes took place, according to proposed legislation tabled Thursday.

The bill tabled in the provincial legislature by Justice Minister Sonia LeBel would eliminate the 30-year time limit for bringing a civil suit against an alleged assailant.

Quebec and Prince Edward Island are the only two provinces to maintain a time limitation for this type of lawsuit.

Victims have long called for the province to eliminate the statute of limitations, including those who were assaulted by pedophile priests as children.

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.